2.7.4 Child labour

2.7.4 Child labour

The minimum working age in both Federal Iraq and KRI is 15 years. Under Labor Law, child labour in Iraq is illegal for children under 15 years old883 – with an exception in the KRI for those working in a family enterprise – and punishable with a prison sentence for up to six months and a fine of one million IQD [about 652 EUR]. Cases of child labour are to be investigated by the Ministry of Labour.884 While about 5 % of Iraqi children are estimated to be involved in work,885 according to Kurdistan24, referring to a research done by the Independent Arabia,886 some 13 % of children ‘are engaged in labour deemed hazardous or exploitative’.887 Reasons why the phenomenon persists include poverty, lack of documentation,888 unemployment, displacement and weak institutional measures against the practice.889 Children were reportedly working in services, agriculture, and industries sectors,890 or collecting recyclable materials in the streets.891 After the authorities registered 600 cases of child labour in Baghdad in 2024, ten new committees to monitor the issue were formed in January 2025.892 The authorities have reportedly developed a plan to address child labour that includes ‘offering social protection salaries or loans to affected families’.893 In April 2025, the government has taken measures aiming at reintegrating working children in the school life.894