Child Labor Figures in Indonesia Increased in 2020

Children are the human resources that will determine the nation's future, and all parties are obligated to guarantee the fulfillment of their human rights (HAM). In reality, many children still leave school and become child laborers to meet their economic needs.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of Indonesians aged 10-17 years who were working in 2020 reached 1.17 million, a 320,000 increase compared to the previous year. The percentage also increased from 2.37% in 2019 to 3.25% last year.

The highest increase came from child laborers aged 10-12 years. In 2019, the percentage was recorded at only 1.83 million people. Meanwhile, there was a 3.6% increase in child laborers aged 10-12 years in 2020.

The number of child laborers aged 13-14 years also increased from 2.07% to 3.34%. Meanwhile, the number of child laborers aged 15-17 years decreased from 3.08% to 2.85%.

Child laborers are children involved in production activities within the national accounts system (SNN) for at least one hour during the reference period. The BPS report can only capture children working between the ages of 10-17 years.