A report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), indicates that a total of 419,254 children between the ages of 5 to 17 years were involved in economic activities in Ghana in 2021.
This data highlights the extent of child labor and the need for further measures to protect the rights and well-being of these children.
The children were captured during the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).
The GSS explained that 76,439 children aged 5 to 9 years were engaged in economic activity, 153,189 aged 10 to 14 years were engaged in economic activities, and 189,626 children aged 15 to 17 years were involved in such activities.
Children aged 5 to 17 years worked an average of 29.2 hours in the seven days preceding Census Night.
Children aged 15 to 17 years worked an average of 35.2 hours, while children aged 10 to 14 years worked an average of 26.5 hours (about 5 hours per weekday). Children aged 5 to 9 years worked an average of 19.8 hours (about 4 hours per weekday).
The GSS also found that children engaged as paid apprentices worked the highest number of hours, on average 48.4 hours.
This was almost twice the number of hours worked by contributing family workers, who worked an average of 25.0 hours. Children in the service sector worked an average of 36.8 hours, while those in the agricultural sector worked an average of 25.6 hours.
The GSS also found that 153,773 children aged 5 to 17 years engaged in economic activity had never attended school. Of this number, 37,963 children were aged 5 to 9 years.
In all, 94,748 children aged 5 to 17 years engaged in economic activity were also attending school during the census.