In many countries, adults are not the only ones working for pay, especially in low-income families. According to the International Labour Organization, there are more than 160 million child laborers worldwide. Many of these children are performing hazardous work; many others are involved in labor that erodes their educational chances.
The evidence clearly supports the need to limit child labor by preventing full-time work, work that conflicts with school, and hazardous work. In order to understand what countries are doing to protect children, we collected information about government policies and laws surrounding child labor, including provisions related to hazardous work, general employment, working conditions, night work, and time off.
