Brazil child labor reaches historic low but misses UN eradication goal

Child labor in Brazil reached its lowest level in the historical series in 2025, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The Pnad Contínua survey indicates that nearly 1.5 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 remain affected by the practice.

While the numbers have declined, Brazil failed to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate all forms of child labor by 2025. The proportion of children exposed to child labor fell from 4.3% to 4% over the last two years, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points. In absolute terms, the group shrank by 9.2%, representing 151,000 fewer individuals compared to 2024.

The reduction was most significant in households receiving Bolsa Família benefits. In these homes, the number of children and adolescents in child labor conditions dropped by 20.1%, falling from 717,000 in 2024 to 573,000 in 2025. According to IBGE, beneficiaries of the program accounted for over 95% of the total reduction in child labor.