Proportion of working children aged 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 4.7 percent

The total population of children aged 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 31.71 million in 2022. This was higher than the total number reported in 2021 at 31.64 million and in 2020 at 31.17 million.

The proportion of working children 5 to 17 years old increased to 4.7 percent in 2022 from 4.3 percent in 2021. In 2020, the proportion of working children 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 2.8 percent. In terms of level, the number of working children 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 1.48 million in 2022, indicating an increase of 112 thousand from 1.37 million in 2021. In 2020, the number of working children 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 872 thousand. (Table A and Figure 1)

Working children was higher among boys compared to girls. Of the 1.48 million working children in 2022, 868 thousand or 58.7 percent were boys, while 610 thousand or 41.3 percent were girls. In 2021 and 2020, more than 60.0 percent of the working children were boys.

Among the age groups, there were more working children belonging to the older age groups than the younger ones. Majority of the working children were 15 to 17 years old accounting for 59.7 percent of the total working children in 2022. The proportion of working children 15 to 17 years old was estimated at 63.8 percent in 2021 and 68.9 percent in 2020. (Table B)

Services sector had the largest share of working children

By broad industry group, in 2022, services sector became the dominant employment hub of working children absorbing 49.5 percent of the total working children. In 2021 and 2020, it was estimated at 45.4 percent and 43.4 percent, respectively.

In 2022, the agriculture sector posted the second largest share of working children at 43.2 percent. In 2021 and 2020, this sector also had the largest share of working children at 45.7 percent and 47.4 percent, respectively.

The industry sector continued to have the lowest share of working children at 7.3 percent in 2022,   9.0   percent   in   2021,   and   9.1   percent   in   2020. (Table B and Figure 2)

Majority of the working children worked 20 hours or less per week

The actual number of hours worked during the reference week was asked to working children. Among the working children, majority or 75.6 percent reported to have worked 20 hours or less per week in 2022. This was higher than the proportion of children who worked 20 hours or less per week in 2021 at 55.9 percent and in 2020 at 53.0 percent. Meanwhile, children who worked for 21 to 40 hours per week decreased to 15.7 percent in 2022 from the 27.6 percent in 2021. (Table B)

Working Children was highest in SOCCSKSARGEN

Across regions, Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) posted the highest proportion of working children at 12.3 percent of the total children aged 5 to 17 years old in 2022. This was followed by Region X (Northern Mindanao) at 8.6 percent and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at 7.3 percent in 2022. (Table A)

In terms of share to the total working children, SOCCSKSARGEN registered the largest share at 12.8 percent. This was followed by Region IV-A (CALABARZON) with
11.1 percent share and Region VII (Central Visayas) with 10.5 percent share. On the other hand, the regions that posted the lowest share to the total working children were Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 1.3 percent share, National Capital Region (NCR) and Region II (Cagayan Valley) with 1.7 percent share each, and Region III (Central Luzon) with 2.6 percent share. (Table B and Figure 3)

Child laborers in the country decreased in 2022

Child labor includes working children who engaged in the following activities: (i) hazardous work (hazardous child labor) which encompasses undesirable activities or work done in hazardous environment (as identified in DOLE Order No. 04 (1999) on ‘Hazardous work and activities to persons below eighteen (18) years of age’), and work done for long hours of more than 40 hours and/or night time or the entire day by children in ages 15 to 17 years (Section 12A (2) and (3) of RA No. 9231); and (ii) work by children below fifteen (15) years of age in excess of the allowable work hours or less than 20 hours (Sec. 12A (1) of RA No. 9231).

The total number of working children considered engaged in child labor was estimated at 828 thousand in 2022. This was lower than the reported number of working children engaged in child labor in 2021 at 935 thousand but higher than the reported number in 2020 at 597 thousand. (Table C)

In terms of proportion, 56.0 percent of the working children were engaged in child labor in 2022, which was lower than the estimated proportion of working children engaged in child labor in 2021 and 2020 at 68.4 percent each. (Table C and Figure 4)

Majority of the working children engaged in child labor were boys. Of the estimated 828 thousand working children engaged in child labor in 2022, 548 thousand or 66.2 percent of them were boys while 280 thousand or 33.8 percent were girls. (Table D and Figure 5)

Across age groups, child laborers aged 15 to 17 years old continued to account for the largest share of working children engaged in child labor of about 61.6 percent in 2022. The share of child laborers aged 15 to 17 years old was reported at 64.7 percent and 73.3 percent in 2021 and 2020, respectively. (Table D and Figure 6)

By broad industry group, the agriculture sector continued to account for the largest share of child laborers at 68.8 percent, followed by the services sector with 25.9 percent share and the industry sector with 5.3 percent share. (Table D and Figure 7)

Thirteen in every 100 child laborers were in SOCCSKSARGEN

Across regions, in 2022, SOCCSKSARGEN had the largest share to the country’s child laborers at 12.5 percent, followed by Central Visayas with 10.5 percent share and BARMM with 10.4 percent share. CAR had the lowest share of child laborers at 1.7 percent followed by NCR at 1.9 percent share. (Table D and Figure 8)

(Sgd.) CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General