In Brazil, in 2019, there were 38.3 million persons between 5 and 17 years of age. A total 1.8 million lived in child labor conditions. There was a decrease by 16.8% in the number of children and teenagers living in such conditions from 2016, when there were 2.1 million working children. In the same period, the population in this age group recorded a decrease of 4.1%.

In proportional terms, Brazil had 5.3% of its children and teenagers living in child labor conditions in 2016, a percentage that fell to 4.6% in 2019. Data comes from Continuous PNAD on Child and Teenage Labor, which is part of the IBGE’s experimental statistics.

Among children and teenagers living in child labor conditions, 66.4% were men and 66.1% were black or brown, a proportion above that of black or brown persons in the group aged 5 to 17 years of age (60.8%).

In the population aged 5 to 17 years of age, 96.6% were in school, but, among children and teenagers in child labor conditions, that estimate fell to 86.1%.

Among persons in child labor conditions, 53.7% were in the group aged 16 and 17; 25.0% in the group aged 14 and 15 and 21.3% in the group aged 5 to 13.

Agriculture and Trade and repair were the groups of activity that encompassed, respectively, 24.2% and 27.4% of those children and teenagers.

In 2019, there were 706 thousand persons aged 5 to 17 years employed under the worst listed forms of child labor (Lista TIP, in Portuguese).

A total 1.3 million of the 1.8 million children and teenagers living in child labor conditions worked in economic activities and 463 thousand in subsistence activities.

Average real income of persons aged 5 to 17 years of age living in child labor conditions that worked in economic activities was estimated at R$ 503.

Proportion of persons living in child labor conditions
in the population aged 5 to 17 years of age - Brazil - 2016-2019

53.7% of the persons in child labor conditions were between 16 and 17 years of age

Among persons in child labor conditions, 53.7% were aged 16 and 17 years of age; 25.0% in the group aged 14 and 15 and 21.3% in the group aged 5 to 13 years of age, which corresponded to 950 thousand, 442 thousand and 337 thousand persons respectively. In the segment of those engaged in economic activities there was a predominance of persons aged 16 and 17 years of age (825 thousand); on the other hand, among those performing subsistence activities, the highlight was the group aged 5 to 13 years of age, with 218 persons.

Proportion of persons living in child labor conditions
in the population aged 5 to 17 - Brazil - 2016-2019

In the group aged 5 to 13, more than 80% of the persons worked up to 14 hours per week, whereas among persons aged 14 to 17, about 30% worked 15 to 24 hours per week. On the other hand, in the top age range (16 and 17 years of age), 24.2% worked 40 or more hours per week, which shows that longer work shifts were concentrated in the older age groups .

In the segment aged 5 to 13, the proportion of students reached 99.0%, both in the total population and in the group in child labor conditions – that means universalization of school attendance in this age group, in any case. Among those aged 14 and 15, percentages were 97.5% and 94.9%, respectively, for the population overall and those who were child laborers. However, it was among persons 16 and 17 that the biggest discrepancy was observed: 85.4% of the population in this age group were attending school, whereas 76.8% of the child laborers did.

The 1.3 mmillion workers engaged in economic activities were concnetrated in non-agricultural activities (75.8%). They were mainly employees (57.7%), followed by auxiliary household workers (30.9%). There were also 11.5% of self-employed workers or employers.

More than 50% work in Agriculture and Trade

The groups of activity in Agriculture and Trade and repair accounted, respectively, for 24.2% and 27.4% of the activities performed by this population. The biggest percentage, however, was that of Other activities, with a participation of 41.2%; whereas Domestic services recorded the lowest estimate, 7.1%.

Persons in child labor conditions were, respectively, Workers in services, trade or market sellers (29.0%) and Workers in elementary activities (36.2%). Another 10.8% were Qualified workers in agriculture, forests, hunting and fishing, whereas the other 23.9% were distributed into Other groups.

Considering the record of age groups, survey data shows there was bigger concentration of persons aged 5 to 13 in agricultural activities (39.2%), a percentage that was reduced in other age groups: among those aged 14 and 15 the figure was 29.3% and in the group aged 16 and 17 the estimate fell to 19.3%.

Informality rate for persons aged 16 and 17 is 74.1%

Among persons 16 and 17 years of age performing economic activities, the survey investigated the level of formality in the occupation according to formality criteria.

Workers in informal occupations was estimated at 772 thousand persons, which means a level of informal work of 74.1% among those who performed economic activities in this age group. That percentage reached its peak in 2017 (76.1%) and the lowest estimate was obsrved in 2018 (73.5%). In 2016, the figure was 75.4%.

706 thousand children and teenagers are working in the worst forms of child labor

In 2019, there were 706 thousand persons aged 5 to 17 working in he worst forms of child labor (TIP List), meaning 45.8% of the persons in this age group engaged in economic activities (1.5 million persons).

This percentage has recorded decrease since 2016,when it reached the maximum figure of the series, 51.2% (or 933 thousand children and teengaers). By age group, the highest estimate was that among persons 5 to 13 (65.1%); it fell, however, among persons aged 14 and 15 (54.4%) and 16 and 17 (40.2%).

From 2016 to 2019, the percentage of persons in child labor conditions fell in all the age groups, with a highlight to persons aged 5 to 13, which fell from 71.4% to 65.1% in the period (-6.3 percentage points).

Women and blacks and browns in child labor had lower average real earnings

In 2019, average real earnings of persons aged 5 to 17 in child labor conditions was estimated at R$ 503. Men earned R$ 524, whereas women earned 87.9% of that amount (R$ 461). The average real earnings of the white population amounted to R$ 559, having fallen to R$ 467 blacks and browns.

Earnings increased with the age, changing from R$ 163 for per sons aged 5 to 13 and reaching R$ 560 among persons aged 16 and 17 years of age. The estimate for child laborers who were also students was R$ 470 and increased considerably among those who were not attending school, and reached R$ 624.

For those engaged in agricultural activities, earnings amounted to R$ 527, having fallen to R$ 499 for those in non-agricultural activities. Earnings of the population in child labor conditions performing activities related to child work was 13.6% smaller than that received by those not performing such activities (R$ 467 and R$ 540, respectively).

51.8% of the children and teenagers did household chores or took care of persons

In the population of 38.3 million persons aged 5 to 17 years of age in 2019, 51.8% (19.8 million persons) did household chores and/or took care of persons.

The biggest percentage of these tasks was in the group aged 16 and 17 (76.9%), followed by persons aged 14 and 15 (74.8%) and those aged 5 to 13 years of age (39.9%). Among women that percentage was of 57.5% and fell to 46.4% among men. It is observed that 94.0% (18.6 million persons) were not working in economic activities, whereas 1.2 million persons combined these activities and household chores or taking care of persons.

83.7% of the children and teenagers working in economic activities attended school, but among those not doing that, the percentage was higher: 96.6%. In addition to that, 83.4% of the children and teenagers who did household chores and took care of persons were in child labor conditions.