Child Labor in Chile: Findings from the U.S. Department of Labor

Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

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Chile

2024 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

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Significant Advancement

In 2024, Chile made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government published results of the National Survey of Activities of Children and Adolescents and organized learning sessions about new methodologies used in conducting the survey and new data obtained on unpaid domestic and hazardous domestic work. Chile launched a National Policy for Children and Adolescents 2024–2032 and an accompanying action plan to implement the policy. The government also created a special commission to investigate abuses and deaths of children who were in state care under the National Services for Minors System from 1979 to 2024, including those who may have been subjected to commercial sexual exploitation while in the system. Finally, the government launched a new labor inspection model to facilitate identifying labor violations and detecting child labor cases more easily. However, despite these efforts, human resources for the labor inspectorate were still not sufficient to fully cover a workforce of nearly 10 million people. Social programs are also needed to prevent child labor among foreign and native children, with particular attention to children living in the Ñuble Region.

**Statistics on Children's Work and Education**
Children	Age	Percent and Population
Working	5 to 14	9.8% (240,744)
Boys		5.3%
Girls		4.5%
Urban		8.1%
Rural		1.7%
Hazardous Work by Children	15 to 17	10.4% (74,098)
Boys		6.6%
Girls		3.8%
Urban		8.5%
Rural		1.9%
Attending School	5 to 14	99.7%
Combining Work and School	7 to 14	7.8%

**Overview of Children's Work by Sector and Activity**

Children in Chile are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and in illicit activities, such as the production and trafficking of drugs.
Sector/Industry	Activity
Agriculture	Agricultural production, working in livestock rearing, forestry,† and fishing.†
Industry	Construction,† bricklaying,† and carpentry.†
Services	Domestic work, including janitorial work† or cleaning,† washing,† ironing,† mending clothes,† and caring for others.† Street work,† including street vending. Working in retail, hospitality, corner stores, offices, restaurants, and bars.† Working in garbage collection† and street cleaning.
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡	Use in illicit activities, including in the production, selling, and distribution of drugs, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Forced labor in agriculture, mining, construction, street vending, domestic work, and garment and hospitality sectors. Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking.

† 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

In Chile, children from native communities and foreign children are vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor, including in agriculture, mining, street vending, domestic service, and the hospitality sector. Girls under state care, LGB youth, and girls and adolescents from Venezuela and Colombia are at higher risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Children in some state care institutions have been subjected to commercial sexual exploitation and used in the production of pornography. One of the recent investigations into the Better Childhood Service revealed a network in the Maule region of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

Barriers to Education Access

While education is compulsory through secondary school, some educational barriers do exist in Chile, including a lack of transportation to schools in rural areas and discrimination in educational settings, specifically against foreign children. A large influx of irregular migration makes public schools overcrowded, which creates difficulties in accessing education.

**Laws and Regulations on Child Labor**

Chile has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor.
Standard	Age	Meets International Standards	Legislation
Minimum Age for Work	18	✓	Articles 13 and 17 of the Labor Code; Article 13 of Law No. 21.271
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work	18	✓	Articles 13, 14, and 18 of the Labor Code; Articles 14, 15, and 18 of Law No. 21.271
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children		✓	Articles 14–18 of the Labor Code; Decree 1; Article 18 of the Law No. 21.271
Prohibition of Slavery, Debt Bondage, and Forced Labor		✓	Article 19, No. 2 of the Constitution; Article 2 of the Labor Code; Article 411 quáter of the Penal Code; Article 37 of Law No. 21.430
Prohibition of Child Trafficking		✓	Article 411 of the Penal Code
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children		✓	Articles 366, 367, and 411 of the Penal Code; Law No. 20.594; Article 37 of Law No. 21.430
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities		✓	Article 72 of the Penal Code; Law No. 21.444
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment	18	✓	Chapter 1, Article 32 of the Armed Forces Recruitment and Mobilization Law No. 2.306
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military		✓	Chapter 1, Article 13 of the Armed Forces Recruitment and Mobilization Law No. 2.306
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups		✓	Article 26 of Law No. 20.357
Compulsory Education Age	18‡	✓	Articles 4, 25, and 27 of the General Education Law No. 20.370
Free Public Education		✓	Article 4 of the General Education Law No. 20.370

‡ Age calculated based on available information

**Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement**

In 2024, labor and criminal law enforcement agencies in Chile took actions to address child labor. However, insufficient human resources and judges suspending or commuting sentences for those convicted of child commercial sexual exploitation crimes hindered enforcement efforts.
Organization/Agency \| Role & Activities
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MINTRAB): Enforces child labor laws, coordinating with the Better Childhood Service and the Department of Fundamental Rights. The Undersecretary of Labor within MINTRAB chairs the Ministerial Advisory Commission for the Implementation of the Protocol (ILO C.29) on forced labor. In 2023, Chile replaced the Department for the Eradication of Child Labor with the Department of Fundamental Rights. The latter leads the Ministerial Advisory Commission for the Eradication of Child Labor and Protection of Adolescent Workers (CETI) and is tasked with eradicating child labor and forced labor, as well as addressing labor issues pertaining to migration and people with disabilities. CETI is supported by 16 Regional Committees for the Eradication of Child Labor (CRETI). During the reporting period, the Ministry started to work on a new public policy to address child labor. The policy will be based on the data received from the Survey of Activities of Children and Adolescents (EANNA), and will step in after the completion of National Strategy for the Eradication of Child Labor and the Protection of Adolescent Workers (2015–2025) to ensure the government’s commitment to eradicate child labor. Also, CRETI updated its outreach technology and created TikTok videos for adolescents on their rights and protected work possibilities.
National Prosecutor’s Office: Conducts criminal investigations and prosecutes crimes related to the worst forms of child labor. Trains and coordinates with interagency partners, including the National Investigative Police, the National Uniformed Police (Carabineros), and regional and local prosecutor’s offices. In September 2024, the Chilean Police Force concluded operation “Orion 3,” which targeted child pornography. As a result of the operation, police conducted 99 searches and detained 62 people. Fifteen of these individuals will remain under arrest during the ongoing investigation.

**Enforcement Mechanisms and Efforts**
Overview of Enforcement Efforts	2024
Has a Labor Inspectorate	Yes
Able to Assess Civil Penalties	Yes
Routinely Conducted Worksite Inspections	Yes
Unannounced Inspections Permitted	Yes
Has a Complaint Mechanism	Yes
Imposed Penalties for Child Labor Violations	Yes
Conducted Criminal Investigations for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes	Yes
Imposed Penalties for Worst Forms of Child Labor Crimes	Yes

In 2024, an unknown number of labor inspectors conducted an unknown total number of worksite inspections and identified 255 violations. Of these violations, 191 resulted in administrative sanctions and 17 are ongoing cases for National Prosecutor’s office action. The government conducted investigations into suspected cases of the worst forms of child labor and convicted perpetrators of crimes, but the total number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions is unknown.

**Key Mechanism to Coordinate Government Efforts on Child Labor**

Chile established a mechanism to coordinate its efforts to address child labor. However, reports have noted that more robust coordination with stakeholders and NGOs is needed.
Coordinating Body \| Role & Activities
Ministerial Advisory Commission for the Eradication of Child Labor and the Protection of Working Adolescents (CETI): Coordinates with the Department of Fundamental Rights on implementing the National Strategy for the Eradication of Child Labor and the Protection of Adolescent Workers at the national and subnational levels. In 2024, all CETI structures committed to initiating work on a new National Strategy for the Eradication of Child Labor.

**Key Policies Related to Child Labor**

Chile established policies that are consistent with relevant international standards on child labor. However, the National Action Plan Against Human Trafficking (2023–2026) is lacking formal approval and research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the Fourth Action Plan against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.
Policy \| Description & Activities
National Strategy for the Eradication of Child Labor and the Protection of Adolescent Workers (2015–2025): Aims to eradicate child labor by combining efforts across national and regional agencies and private and public entities. Requires regions to establish strategies to address child labor issues in their areas and use sex-based and multicultural approaches, prioritizing underserved communities. MINTRAB leads the effort, uniting government institutions, employer organizations, worker organizations, civil society, and international organizations in inter-institutional actions. The guidelines in the strategy call for a survey to be conducted every 4 years. In December 2024, the National Statistics Institute of Chile published the results of the National Survey of Activities of Children and Adolescents.
Fourth Action Plan against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (2021–2025): Creates cooperation mechanisms for private and public institutions to collaborate on preventing and detecting the commercial sexual exploitation of children and providing social services and rights restitution to survivors. In 2024, Ultima Esperanza provincial government with the Raices NGO held a capacity building session for local public officials and health and social services providers to strengthen the protection of children from commercial sexual exploitation with an emphasis on properly classifying cases of child prostitution as commercial sexual exploitation and referring victims to medical, legal and social services.

† The government has other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor.

**Key Social Programs to Address Child Labor**

Chile funded and participated in a program that includes the goal of eliminating and preventing child labor. However, there is an insufficient number of shelters for survivors of human trafficking and a lack of shelters for male victims.
Program \| Description & Activities
Better Childhood Service (Mejor Niñez, Servicio Nacional de Protección Especializada de la Niñez y Adolescencia):‡ Operates under the Ministry of Social Development and Family and works in coordination with the Department of Child Labor Eradication, guaranteeing the protection of vulnerable children and adolescents, particularly those living on the streets, and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Also coordinates with Local Offices of Childhood (Oficinas Locales de la Niñez) to refer cases of children whose rights have been violated to social services. These offices are located in municipalities throughout the country and are part of the larger social protection network overseen by Better Childhood Service. The Service was active in 2024.

† Program is funded by the Government of Chile.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

**Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor**

The suggested government actions below would close gaps USDOL has identified in Chile’s implementation of its international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.
Area	Suggested Action
Enforcement	Increase the number of labor inspectors to at least 666 to ensure adequate coverage of the labor force of approximately 9.99 million people. Conduct a comprehensive inspection campaign beyond agriculture, monitoring all areas and sectors in which child labor is occurring. Provide regular labor inspector refresher training.
	Publish information on the number of child violations found in all labor inspections and number of penalties imposed and collected. Make information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions for the worst forms of child labor crimes public.
Coordination	Improve collaboration between governmental agencies, unions, and civil society stakeholders involved in addressing child labor and forced labor.
Government Policies	Ensure that the National Action Plan Against Human Trafficking (2023–2026) is formally approved, funded and implemented, and publish information about activities undertaken to implement the plan.
	Implement the Fourth Action Plan against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. Make information on the results of the Third Action Plan against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents and the progress of the current plan's activities publicly available.
Social Programs	Conduct research to determine the activities carried out by children working in forestry, and fishing to inform policies and programs.
	Ensure that educational barriers, such as a lack of transportation to schools in rural areas, overcrowded public schools, and discrimination against foreign children in educational settings, are addressed to prevent child labor.
	Plan and deliver special programs to reduce school dropout rates and ensure the re-engagement of students.
	Provide targeted social programs to children vulnerable to child labor and the worst forms of child labor, including in the Ñuble Region (Region XVI).
	Ensure that there are adequate services and shelters available for child survivors of human trafficking, including specialized services for male survivors.

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