Some 127,000 children, aged 7 to 17, were engaged in economic activity in 2022, which represents 1.6% of this age group, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP).
“In 2022, in Morocco, among the 7,690,000 children aged 7 to 17, 127,000 were engaged in an economic activity, which represents 1.6% of this age group”, indicates the HCP in a note published on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor, celebrated on June 12.
This share is 3.3% in rural areas (104,000 children) and 0.5% in urban areas (23,000 children), specifies the same source, noting that this day constitutes an important opportunity to raise awareness of this phenomenon and to work together. to end it.
He added that the phenomenon of working children is more widespread among boys than among girls, and it is often associated with dropping out of school. Thus, 81.5% of working children are male, 91% are between 15 and 17 years old and 82% live in rural areas. In addition, 12.2% of them are still in school, 85.3% have left school and 2.5% have never attended.
The HCP also notes that the number of working children continues to decline, adding that compared to 2021, this number has decreased by 14% and by 48.6% compared to 2017.
In addition, the phenomenon remains concentrated in certain economic sectors and differs according to place of residence. Thus, in rural areas, 76.5% work in “agriculture, forestry and fishing”. In urban areas, “services”, with 56.3%, and “industry”, with 24.7%, are the main sectors employing children.
Nearly three quarters of working children in rural areas are family helpers (71.6%); in urban areas, 49.2% of working children are employees, 30.6% apprentices and 16% family helpers.
