Child labour in Sindh has declined significantly since 1996, yet over 1.6 million children aged five to 17 are still working, according to findings from the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022–2024.
Conducted by the provincial Labour Department with support from Unicef and the Sindh Bureau of Statistics, the survey reveals that while child labour has nearly halved since the 1996 National Child Labour Survey, challenges remain. The earlier survey recorded a 20.6% child labour rate; current findings show notable progress, but concerns persist.
Over half—50.4%—of working children aged 10 to 17 are engaged in hazardous work, often involving long hours, dangerous equipment, and extreme weather conditions. Only 40.6% of working children attend school, compared to 70.5% among non-working peers. School attendance drops sharply as children age, especially for girls.
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Girls aged 14 to 17 also face greater burdens at home, averaging nearly 14 hours of weekly domestic work. They are more likely to leave school early, highlighting the double pressure of household duties and poverty.
The survey also found that child labour is more prevalent in poorer families, with 33.7% of the lowest-income households employing at least one child. Additionally, 20.1% of working children showed signs of depression—nearly double the rate in non-working children.
District-level data showed the highest child labour rates in Qambar Shahdadkot (30.8%) and Tharparkar (29%), while Karachi recorded the lowest at 2.38%.
