There were 218 million children working illegally in the eyes of international treaties, as at the most recent formal assessment in 2004. Child labour is defined as all economic activity for children under 12 years, any work for those aged 12-14 of sufficient hours per week to undermine their health or education, and all "hazardous work" which could threaten the health of children under 18.

Almost all child labour occurs in developing countries, largely in agriculture but also including domestic service, factory production and backstreet workshops. Despite a fall of over 10% in the figure since the last assessment in 2000, over 25% of children in sub-Saharan Africa and 18% in Asia remain trapped within the cycle of poverty of which child labour is part.

126 million of these children are engaged in hazardous work, such as mining or handling chemicals, which is otherwise described as the "worst forms of child labour". A further class within this latter description is known as the "unconditional" worst forms of child labour which refers to prostitution, military enrolment, slavery such as bonded labour for brick kilns in Pakistan, or trafficking - as reported in the movement of children across Indian state borders to satisfy the boom in farming of genetically modified Bt cotton in Gujarat. No statistics are available for this “unconditional” category but the numbers are likely to be close to 10 million.

There is an additional category of "working children" not included in these statistics because the profile of age, nature of work and hours is not regarded as harmful. For example, light work of a few hours per week could be regarded as beneficial; "child labour" by contrast should be eliminated.

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