Poverty is one of the biggest reasons. Many families rely on irregular or low-paid work. Children, when parents can't afford to pay for food, housing and education and so on, are expected to help out with the household income.
The problem can get worse when families have lost jobs, get ill, face economic shocks or face climate-related disasters. UNICEF notes that financial uncertainty is a major factor pushing children into work.
Education is another important factor. Kids in poor or remote communities may have difficulty accessing affordable and good schools. When education is not there or hard to get access to, working is the more immediate option for families.
Conflict and fragile institutions can also increase the risk. In conflict-affected areas, the ILO says, child labour prevalence is particularly high where schools, social protection systems and family livelihoods can be disrupted.
In this regard agriculture is indeed at the core.
Agriculture accounts for the largest share of child labour globally; around 61% of all child labour. Many children work on family farms or smallholder farms, particularly in rural communities.
Children can also engage in informal activities like street selling, domestic work and other activities. Dangerous work in mining, construction and manufacturing is also a concern for some.
Hazardous work is particularly concerning because it can expose children to injuries, dangerous machinery, chemicals, extreme working conditions and excessively long hours.
How does child labour affect the economy?
The immediate income from child labour can provide immediate income for families but it can also have long-term economic consequences.
When children spend hours and hours working, they have less time for education. The latest ILO figures indicate that 31% of children from age 5 to 14 who are engaged in child labour are not attending school; 8% are not attending school, compared to 8% who are not in child labour.
Lower educational attainment can limit children's prospects for skilled/better paid jobs when they are adults. That could damage productivity and skills of the future workforce.
So child labour can lead to a cycle of poverty. Poor families may depend on children’s earnings now, but the loss of education can make it harder for those children to achieve better economic opportunities later.
This is a bigger challenge for countries that want to train people to create skilled workers; increase productivity; and reduce poverty.
The impact of mental health affects children.
Child labour is not only about physical injuries or missing school. Children who work in difficult or hazardous environments will experience stress, fear, emotional distress and psychological damage.
UNICEF says child labour can cause serious physical and mental harm and can prevent children from accessing education, health care and other very basic rights.
Long work hours might have children working very hard but not enough time to sleep, play, make friends and have a family life. Such experiences are necessary for mental and social development.
Children exposed to violence, abuse, exploitation or extremely hazardous work can have even more serious psychological consequences.
Education and Childhood are Also Lost
Childhood is a critical period in learning social skills and confidence and a good time to develop these. When children are working in the early years and not in school, they miss opportunities that are much harder to recover in later life.
UNICEF research also indicates that child labour can negatively affect school participation, learning, physical health, mental health and future opportunities.
A recent UNICEF data brief published in February 2026 found that in Eastern and Southern Africa, at least six in ten adolescents involved in child labour were out of school compared to two in ten adolescents not involved in child labour.
Breaking the Cycle of Child Labour
More than simply removing children from the labour force, reducing child labour is not enough; it is not simply removing children from workplaces. Families need stable jobs, stable incomes and social protection to come together and children need affordable and good education at a cheap price in a safe and good quality.
Governments also need effective child-protection systems and stronger enforcement against hazardous and exploitative work.
The ILO and UNICEF have also called for more investment in education, social protection, child protection and decent work for adults. Such measures may help families survive financial difficulties without children’s labour.
Conclusion
Sub-Saharan Africa has made progress in reducing the rate of child labour, but population growth means the total number of affected children remains extremely high. Poverty, conflict, limited education and economic insecurity continue to put children at risk.
For the region’s long-term economic prosperity, safeguarding children from harmful labour is also an investment in its future workforce. Ensuring that children can learn, play and grow safely can help break the cycle of poverty across generations.
