MANILA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of working children in the Philippines fell to an estimated 861,000 in 2024, continuing a steady annual decline in recent years, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released Tuesday.

Working children aged 5 to 17 now account for 2.7 percent of the total child population in 2024, down from 3.5 percent in 2023 and 4.7 percent in 2022.

Boys continued to make up the majority of young workers, accounting for 61.8 percent, or 532,000, of those employed in 2024. Girls comprised 329,000, or 38.2 percent.

Children aged 15 to 17 accounted for the largest share of the workforce, making up 74.5 percent of all working minors in 2024, up from 72.5 percent in 2023 and 59.7 percent in 2022.

The services sector has consistently employed the highest percentage of working children aged 5 to 17 years over the past three years.

The PSA also reported a continued decline in child labor, defined as hazardous work or employment exceeding legal working hours for minors.

The number of children engaged in child labor fell sharply to 509,000 in 2024 from 678,000 in 2023 and 828,000 in 2022. ■