Children at risk – some facts and figures
Young children doing adults’ work
The available data suggest that the percentage of working children varies in the WHO European Region, but no country is immune to the problem of child labour in hazardous work.
There are 2.5 million working children in the developed economies and another 2.5 million in the transition economies such as the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Among children aged 5–14 years, the economically active comprise:
- 37.1% in the Republic of Moldova
- 31.7%in Albania
- 17.7% in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 3% in Portugal.
Hazardous work
An estimated 62% of child labour puts children at risk.
- Of the 1.6 million children in Turkey who are economically active, 310 400 (19.4%) have experienced work accidents and other health problems related to work.
- In Ukraine, 147 000 (42%) of the 350 000 economically active children work in hazardous conditions with heavy physical load, excessive concentration, eye strain, dust, fumes and noise.
- In Portugal, 43 000–82 000 children (4–7% of all children aged 5–14 years) work, and 2% of them suffer accidents or sickness related to their work.
- In Italy alone, about 17 000 work accidents to people under 17 years of age are registered annually.
The vast majority of working children are in the agricultural sector, although there are also substantial numbers in industry, services, small and medium-sized enterprises and family businesses.
