Share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America

United States of America: Share of children engaged in economic activity was 23.54 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
23.54
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
13th
of 37 countries
All-time high
26.89
in 2006
All-time low
15.57
in 2011
Years of data
18
2005–2023

Share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America, 2005–2023

01020302005201420232005: 262006: 26.92007: 24.82008: 21.82009: 18.52010: 15.92011: 15.62012: 15.72013: 16.52014: 17.22015: 18.22016: 19.32017: 20.62018: 20.32019: 20.32020: 19.42021: 22.62023: 23.5

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America is 23.54, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 42.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America peaked at 26.89 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 15.57, in 2011.

That places United States of America 13th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Share of children engaged in economic activity (15-17) in United States of America, 2005 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2005 26.02
2006 26.89 +3.3%
2007 24.79 -7.8%
2008 21.78 -12.1%
2009 18.46 -15.2%
2010 15.86 -14.1%
2011 15.57 -1.8%
2012 15.67 +0.6%
2013 16.49 +5.2%
2014 17.24 +4.6%
2015 18.24 +5.8%
2016 19.32 +5.9%
2017 20.64 +6.8%
2018 20.3 -1.6%
2019 20.27 -0.2%
2020 19.42 -4.2%
2021 22.63 +16.5%
2023 23.54 +4.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.59 18.46 26.89 5
2010s 17.96 15.57 20.64 10
2020s 21.86 19.42 23.54 3

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 10 Egypt 27.31 compare
  2. 11 Republic of Moldova 25.13 compare
  3. 12 Austria 24.24 compare
  4. 14 Pakistan 23.14 compare
  5. 15 Malta 20.88 compare
  6. 16 Ecuador 19.71 compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More gender data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America?
Share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America was 23.54 in 2023, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest share of children engaged in economic activity recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 26.89 in 2006.
What is the lowest share of children engaged in economic activity recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 15.57 in 2011.
How does United States of America rank for share of children engaged in economic activity?
United States of America ranks 13th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of children engaged in economic activity rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of children engaged in economic activity (15-17). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children engaged in economic activity in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-engaged-in-economic-activity-15-17/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children engaged in economic activity (15-17)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
37 places, 398 data points, 1995–2025
Last refreshed

This indicator is based on harmonized definitions used by the ILO in the context of producing global estimates. Data may differ from nationally reported figures. This indicator refers to children ages 5-17 years old engaged in any form of market production and certain types of non-market production (principally that of goods such as agricultural produce for own use). This includes work in both the formal and informal economy, inside and outside family settings, for pay or profit (cash or in-kind, part-time or full-time) and domestic work outside the child's own household for an employer (paid or unpaid). For more information, refer to the Child Labour Statistics (CHILD) database description.