110,000 children out of 7,775,000, mostly boys, were engaged in economic activities in 2023, Morocco’s Statistics and Forecasts Office (HCP) revealed in a recent report. The number represents 1.4% of all Moroccan children aged 7-17.
The report, published to mark World Day Against Child Labor, which falls on June 12 each year, notes that child labor in Morocco during 2023 decreased overall by 13.4% and 55.5% compared with 2022 and 2017 respectively.
In rural areas, however, the proportion of children engaged in labor increased by 2.8% (88,000 children), while in urban areas it increased by 0.5% (22,000 children).
The prevalence of child labor is reportedly higher among boys than girls, and it is often associated with dropping out of school. According to HCP, 85.6% of child laborers are boys, and 91.5% of them are between the ages of 15 and 17.
A significant proportion (79.9%) of these children reside in rural areas, where educational opportunities are often limited. In terms of school attendance, only 8.6% of working children stayed in school, while 89.1% left school and 2.3% never attended.
The child workforce is concentrated in specific economic sectors and varies by area of residence, according to the report. In the countryside, 74.1% of children work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. In cities, most children work in services (51%) and industry (28.1%).
The HCP estimates that 63.3% of working children in 2023 were engaged in dangerous tasks, equating to approximately 69,000 children, or 0.9% of the population in this age group.
Child labor may affect as many as 77,000 households, which would represent approximately 1% of all Moroccan households, according to HCP.