Peer-reviewed article

Child Labour in Algeria: A Study Based on Mics6 Survey Data 2019

Mohamed Anouar Zahraoui, Soufyane Badraou, Oussama Medjahdi, Oussama Bekhouche · 30 Dec 2025

Abstract

Child labour remains a complex social phenomenon in Algeria, at the intersection of economic, cultural, and institutional dynamics. Despite a protective legal framework and the ratification of international conventions, empirical understanding of local determinants remains limited. This study aims to identify and quantify the socio-demographic and economic factors associated with child labour in Algeria, distinguishing economic work (outside the home) from family work (domestic work). The methodology of our study is a secondary statistical analysis of data from the 2019 MICS6 survey. Methods used include ANOVA, Chi-two independence test, and binary logistic regression. The analysis identifies four key structural determinants. First, age operates as a progressive vulnerability factor: working hours differ significantly by age group (F=35.015, p<0.001), with children under 14 having an 80.3% higher likelihood of family-based work, shifting to external employment afterward. Second, gender shapes exploitation patterns: boys face 82.4% greater risk of out-of-home exploitation (95% CI: 72.4%-93.8%), while girls are 70% more likely to work within families, reflecting the invisibility of female domestic labor. Third, social class remains structurally determinant: each socioeconomic level decline increases child labor likelihood by 60%, with the "poorer" class showing a significant coefficient (-0.906, p<0.05). Fourth, spatial location is decisive: the Chi-square test shows a strong association between child labor and residence (p<0.001), with urban areas having 46.1% lower risk than rural areas.