The decision, issued as Ministerial Decree No. 50 of 2026 by Labour Minister Hassan El-Raddad on Wednesday, aims to strengthen legal protections for children in line with the constitution, labour law, and relevant international agreements, while regulating how minors may be trained or employed.
The decree prohibits employing children before they complete basic education or reach 15, while allowing vocational training from the age of 14, subject to specific safeguards to ensure their health and education are not compromised.
It caps working hours for children permitted to work at six hours per day and bans overtime, work during weekly rest days and official holidays, and night shifts between 7 pm and 7 am.
Children are also barred from working in a wide range of hazardous occupations, including mining and quarrying, certain roles in the asphalt and textile industries, and handling chemicals or hazardous waste, according to the decree, which also sets limits on the weights minors are allowed to carry.
The labour ministry said the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen social protection for children, prevent economic exploitation, and ensure safe, regulated working conditions that respect their rights to education and healthy development, while reinforcing principles of decent work.
Child labour remains present in Egypt, though recent data suggests a gradual decline. According to the Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021, produced by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), approximately 1.3 million children aged 5–17 (about 4.9 percent) are engaged in child labour, including approximately 900,000 in hazardous conditions.
The figures mark a decrease from about 1.6 million children, or 9–10 percent, recorded in earlier nationwide surveys.
The data shows child labour is concentrated in rural areas, particularly in Upper Egypt, and is closely linked to poverty, with significantly higher rates among the poorest households.
Agriculture accounts for the majority of child labour, followed by services and industry, while boys are more likely to be engaged in economic work than girls.
In February 2022, the Egyptian Senate approved a new government-drafted labour law. The 267-article law covers issues such as child labour, women in the workplace, maternity leave, strikes, working hours, wages, worker dismissals, and labour disputes.
The Senate also approved Article 58, which bans the employment of children under 18, and Article 60, which allows children within the same age bracket to receive training for a maximum of six hours per day.
Globally, child labour remains widespread. Around 160 million children, nearly one in 10 worldwide, are engaged in child labour, including about 79 million in hazardous work, according to the latest joint estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF published in June 2021.
The majority are employed in agriculture, reflecting patterns seen in Egypt. Progress has slowed in recent years due to economic shocks, conflicts, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the world off track to meet the UN target of eliminating child labour by 2025.
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