From The Rio Times · Rafael Silva Santos · · 2m
Brazil Child Labor Falls 9.2% to 1.5 Million
Brazil's child labor drops 9.2% to 1.499 million in 2025, lowest rate since 2016.
In brief
Brazil's child labor drops 9.2% to 1.499 million in 2025, lowest rate since 2016. Brazil's child labor fell 9.2% to 1.499 million children aged 5-17 in 2025, the lowest rate since 2016. Originally reported by The Rio Times.
Brazil Child Labor Data
Brazil published new survey data showing 1.499 million children and teenagers aged 5 to 17 in child labor in 2025, down 9.2% from.
2024 to 2025
2024 levels of 1.65 million children in child labor, the first year of the series was 2.1 million in 2016.
Child Labor Rate
The 4.0% rate is the lowest in the survey series, down from 4.3% in 2024.
Worst Forms of Child Labor
IBGE counted 525,000 children in the worst forms of child labor in 2025, down 6.3% from 560,000 in 2024.
Lista TIP
The Lista TIP covers more than 90 activities, including tobacco and sugarcane production, mineral extraction and handling dangerous materials.
Bolsa Família Households
13.1 million children and teenagers aged 5 to 17 live in Bolsa Família households, which saw a 20.1% drop in child labor.
Child Labor by Region
The Southeast has the most child laborers at 481,000, followed by the Northeast with 408,000 and the North with 249,000.
US Importers
US importers of Brazilian coffee, beef, tobacco or sugar still face scrutiny due to the 23 goods listed by the US Labor Department as tied to child labor.
Child Labor by Age
1.1% of children aged 5 to 13 were in child labor, 5.9% of those aged 14 and 15, and 14.5% of 16 and 17 year olds.
Market Impact
The Ibovespa eased 2.68% with breadth negative, 6 of 15 names higher, while Mining lagged.
What It Means for US Readers
US companies that buy Brazilian coffee, beef, cocoa or tobacco face child labor due diligence, which a lower rate eases only slightly.
What It Means for Brazil
The drop was concentrated in households that receive the Bolsa Família cash transfer, which earned BRL 660 per person a month.
What It Means for the Future
Whether the decline continues is open, as the survey measures one year at a time and the 2026 result will show if the drop holds.
The takeaway
Brazil's child labor fell 9.2% to 1.499 million children aged 5-17 in 2025, the lowest rate since 2016.
