KARACHI: Child labour in Sindh has dropped by nearly half since 1996, but more than 1.6 million children between the ages of five and 17 are still working, according to the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022–2024.
The survey, carried out by the provincial labour department with technical support from Unicef and the Bureau of Statistics Sindh, found that 50.4 per cent of working children aged 10 to 17 were involved in hazardous jobs. These included long hours, unsafe tools and exposure to harsh weather.
Labour Director General Muhammad Ali Shah, who also led the project, confirmed that the survey had been submitted to the Sindh government. He said the latest findings marked a sharp decline in child labour rates compared to the 1996 National Child Labour Survey, which recorded a 20.6 per cent prevalence among children in Sindh.
Despite the progress, the new data points to continuing challenges, particularly in education, mental health and poverty. Only 40.6 per cent working children attend school, far lower than the 70.5 per cent school attendance among those not in the labour force. Attendance rates drop further as children grow older.
The report also showed girls aged 14 to 17 face heavier burden at home, spending an average of 13.9 hours per week on domestic work. They are also more likely to drop out of school.
Poverty remains one of the main factors behind child labour. The survey found that 33.7 per cent of the poorest households had at least one working child. It also noted that 20.1 per cent of working children reported symptoms of depression, almost twice the rate seen in non-working children.
Child labour rates vary widely across districts. Qambar Shahdadkot had the highest rate at 30.8 per cent, followed by Tharparkar at 29 per cent, Tando Muhammad Khan at 20.3 per cent and Shikarpur at 20.2 per cent. Karachi had the lowest rate at just 2.38 per cent.
The findings are expected to help guide future policies to address the root causes of child labour and protect the rights of children in the province.
Read next: Sazgar car sales jump 47% in June, second-highest on record