Iran Child Labor Rises as Poverty Exposes Children to 3 Major Risks
Updated
Updated · ایران اینترنشنال · Jun 14
Iran Child Labor Rises as Poverty Exposes Children to 3 Major Risks
1 articles · Updated · ایران اینترنشنال · Jun 14
Summary
Iranian social workers warned on Sunday that worsening poverty is pushing more children into labor, marking a deepening social crisis.
Deepening poverty is the main driver, according to the head of Iran's Association of Social Workers, linking economic hardship directly to the increase.
Child labor is exposing children to sexual exploitation, violence and malnutrition, underscoring the immediate human cost.
The warning points to broader strain on vulnerable families in Iran as poverty increasingly forces children into unsafe work.
Amidst Iran's child labor crisis, are US sanctions or Tehran's policies the greater threat to a generation's future?
As Iran recruits children into armed roles, is the world witnessing the creation of state-sanctioned child soldiers?
Iran’s Child Labor Crisis in 2026: Over 2 Million Children Trapped by Poverty, Systemic Failure, and Regional Instability
Overview
In mid-2026, Iran faces a deepening child labor crisis, mainly driven by widespread poverty and a lack of enforcement of protective laws. As economic hardships worsen, over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, forcing many families to depend on their children's earnings for survival. This leads to more children dropping out of school, missing out on essential skills, and becoming trapped in a cycle of poverty and unemployment that can last into adulthood. The situation is made worse by the government's failure to uphold child protection laws, allowing hazardous child labor to continue unchecked.