The TÜİK figures, released for 2024, reveal that the labor force participation rate for children aged 15-17 has reached a significant 24.9%. This rate shows a stark gender disparity, with 35.6% of boys in this age group working compared to 13.7% of girls. This high rate of child labor coincides with reports of numerous child worker fatalities and injuries, highlighting the dangerous conditions many young workers face.
While Turkey's overall child population (0-17 years) constitutes 25.5% of the total population (21.8 million out of 85.7 million)—a rate higher than the EU average of 17.8%—this demographic share is projected to decline steadily in the coming decades. However, immediate concerns focus on current welfare indicators. These issues not only affect the present well-being of Turkey's youth but also have long-term implications for the future of the country.
Adding to the unease is a decline in net school enrollment for five-year-olds. The rate dropped from 85.0% in the 2022/23 academic year to 84.3% in 2023/24. While enrollment rates remain high for primary (95.0%) and middle school (91.5%), the dip in pre-school attendance raises questions about early childhood development opportunities. Furthermore, essential childhood vaccination coverage has also seen a slight decrease, with the rate for the 3-dose pentavalent vaccine falling from 99.5% in 2022 to 98.8% in 2023, according to Health Ministry data cited in the report.
Poverty is a significant contributing factor to these trends. The 2024 Income and Living Conditions Survey's Child Module indicated that 9.2% of households could not afford new clothes for their children under 15 due to financial constraints. Similarly, 10% reported being unable to provide their children with fresh fruit and vegetables at least once a day due to cost, and 22.2% could not afford a one-week annual holiday away from home for financial reasons.
The human cost of child labor was tragically underscored by recent incidents documented by the Worker Health and Safety Assembly (İSİG Meclisi) and reported by Sol Haber. In April alone, several young workers died or were severely injured. These include 17-year-old Necip Fazıl Çırak, an electrical apprentice who died after falling from a ladder on a construction site in Samsun; 14-year-old Abdurrahman Özkul, who died after his arm was caught in machinery at a plastic recycling plant in Niğde; and 14-year-old Syrian refugee Yusuf Mısri, killed by a detached drill pipe in Konya. These incidents serve as grim reminders of the dangers associated with the high child participation rate in the workforce.
As Turkey grapples with economic pressures, the TÜİK data reveals intersecting challenges impacting its youngest citizens: increasing child labor, decreasing early education participation, lagging vaccination rates, and pervasive child poverty, alongside horrific workplace accidents. These indicators suggest urgent attention is needed to safeguard the country's children's health, education, and fundamental rights. Policymakers play a crucial role in addressing these issues, and their actions can significantly impact the well-being of Turkey's children.