A landmark national report has revealed that 8.6 million children are engaged in child labour across Pakistan, with more than 6.6 million of them involved in hazardous work that directly threatens their health, safety, and long-term futures. The report, titled 'Pakistan: Child Labour Surveys, Evidence for Action', was jointly launched by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and is the first nationally representative child labour dataset compiled in nearly 30 years.

Scale and Regional Distribution

Punjab recorded the highest concentration of child labourers, with more than six million children engaged in labour in the province alone. Sindh followed with 1.6 million, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 745,155 cases. Balochistan accounted for 201,352 children, and the Islamabad Capital Territory recorded 15,180. The data underscores that the crisis is not confined to any single region — it spans every province of the country.

Key Drivers: Poverty and Parental Education

According to the report, poverty is the primary driver of child labour, with the highest prevalence found among the poorest households and in families where parents have lower levels of education. Boys were found to be significantly more likely than girls to be engaged in labour, including hazardous forms of work. The findings point to a structural vulnerability rooted in socioeconomic inequality rather than isolated individual circumstances.

Health and Well-Being Impact

The report documents severe consequences for children in the workforce. Between 32% and 58% of working children across Pakistan's provinces reported work-related injuries or illness. Up to one-third of older children engaged in labour showed symptoms of depression. Children in labour were also more likely to remain out of school and to work longer hours under hazardous conditions — compounding educational deprivation with physical and psychological harm.

Child Domestic Labour and the Education Crisis

Asiya Arif, Executive Director of the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc), noted at a separate event marking the World Day Against Child Labour 2026 that every fourth household in Islamabad employs a child as a domestic worker. She cited the weak implementation of existing legislation on child domestic labour as a critical gap. Arif also highlighted that Pakistan's Education Ministry has disclosed that 26.2 million children are currently out of school — a figure that contextualises why child labour remains entrenched. She called for coordinated action across supply chains, hotels, automobile workshops, and the brick kiln industry, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Article 16 of Pakistan's Constitution.

What Needs to Happen Next

NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha stated at the report launch that hazardous child labour affects children in every region of Pakistan, and urged stronger implementation mechanisms, expanded social protection, and improved access to quality education. With 26.2 million children out of school and legislative enforcement described as far from satisfactory, advocates argue that without systemic reform across multiple sectors, the numbers are unlikely to improve in the near term.