The proportion of working children in the Philippines increased to 3.1% of the total child population in 2025, up from 2.7% a year earlier.
The estimated number of working children reached 869,000 in 2025, a slight increase from 861,000 recorded in 2024.
Working children are defined as those aged five to 17 who are engaged in a family business or any economic activity for at least one hour per week, regardless of compensation.
Boys represented 61.6% of working children in 2025, while girls accounted for 38.4%.
The services sector employed the largest share of working children at 48.7%, a decline from 50.4% in 2024.
Agriculture accounted for 41.2% of working children, up from 40.7% the previous year, while industry posted the smallest share at 10.1%, rising from 8.9%.
Most working children, or 69.1%, worked 20 hours or less per week in 2025, down from 73.8% in 2024.
The number of children engaged in child labor was estimated at 514,000 in 2025, compared with 509,000 in 2024.
Child labor is defined as work performed by children in hazardous conditions or for more than 40 hours per week.
Child laborers made up 59.1% of all working children in 2025, unchanged from 2024 but lower than the 62% recorded in 2023.
Among the 514,000 child laborers, 72.7% or 374,000 were boys and 27.3% or 140,000 were girls.
Agriculture held the largest share of child laborers at 65.5%, followed by services at 25.8% and industry at 8.7%.
