† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children at Higher Risk

Children in Ukraine face increased social, economic, and political challenges, which can make them more vulnerable to exploitation because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The increased vulnerability is most pronounced in areas of active conflict. Internally displaced children (particularly unaccompanied children) and children in conflict-affected territories are especially vulnerable to exploitation in the worst forms of child labor. In addition, children with disabilities, Roma children, and homeless and orphaned children, especially those living in or aging out of state-run institutions, are at risk of human trafficking, including trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation. Russian authorities and proxy groups backed by Russia continued to recruit children for use as soldiers and informants, train them in weapons use, and organize them into reserve militia battalions at militant-run camps and at school programs located in territory controlled by Russia.

Barriers to Education Access

Education continued to be disrupted for more than 6.7 million Ukrainian children, particularly for those in active conflict areas, due to the extensive damage and destruction of schools as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The Ukrainian government continued to provide distance and in-person learning covering over 95 percent of children, with half of the children in Ukraine attending in-person classes and the other half attending either a combination of in-person and online classes or only online classes. A lack of electricity and internet due to attacks on electricity and telecommunications infrastructure has further disrupted access to education. Some children with special needs, children from poor families, and displaced children cannot access online classes because they lack computer equipment or internet access. Additionally, some Roma children lack birth registration, impeding their ability to register for school. Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar children who do not speak Russian may have difficulty accessing education in Russia-controlled areas. Ukrainian children residing temporarily in several host countries in Europe have low enrollment rates in local education systems due to language barriers, difficulty accessing schools, and expectations of returning to Ukraine. While these children are likely attending school via the Ukrainian online learning platform, there is no available data to confirm their attendance.

‡ Age calculated based on available information

In August 2024, the Law On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Simplifying Access to Free Legal Aid came into force. This law guarantees equal access for all children to free legal aid necessary to ensure the protection of their rights. It also expands the right to free secondary legal services to all human trafficking victims, including representation of victims’ interests in courts, other state bodies, and local government.

As the minimum age for work of age 16 is lower than the compulsory education age of 17, children may be encouraged to leave school before the completion of compulsory education. Furthermore, Ministry of Health Order No. 46 does not prohibit children between the ages of 14 and 16 from engaging in hazardous work as part of a vocational training program, which is not in compliance with international standards. Although the law specifies that children in these training programs may be onsite for no more than 4 hours and must remain in strict compliance with applicable safety norms and rules and regulations on labor protection, this is not in compliance with international standards. Ukraine does not sufficiently prohibit the commercial sexual exploitation of children because no law criminalizes the users (clients) of commercial sex involving children.

In 2024, 804 labor inspectors conducted 2,623 worksite inspections, finding 5 child labor violations involving 6 minors. The government initiated 1,708 investigations of the worst forms of child labor, of which 1,670 cases pertained to the importation, sale, production, or distribution of child pornography. It is unknown how many convictions there were, although 1,448 of these cases were referred to the courts for prosecution.

In early 2022, Ukraine issued Order No. 303, which prohibits labor inspectors from conducting routine or targeted inspections while martial law is in force. In addition, while the State Labor Service resumed unannounced labor inspections in 2023 and reports having conducted proactive labor inspections in 2024, it was only able to conduct inspections if they met three specific criteria: (1) informal employment; (2) legality of employment contracts suspension and termination; and (3) observance of wartime labor regulations surrounding schedules, paid leave, and other contractual issues. These limitations on inspections may leave potential violations of child labor laws and other labor abuses undetected in workplaces.

* Program was launched during the reporting period.
‡ Program is funded by the Government of Ukraine.

Download the 2024 Bibliography