There are 1.59 million child workers, age 5-17, in Egyp, according to a recent report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). Of those, 21 percent are female and 79 percent male; 9.3 percent work in unsafe or inhumane conditions. Of Egypt's child workers, 23 percent are under the age of 12 – around 360,000 children. CAPMAS denounced the fact, saying children of that age are not permitted to work or be trained according to law. The report also said the ratio of working males is threefold that of working females. CAPMAS researches carried out a national survey on child labor. The survey reached one million families in 1,500 different areas in seven categories: urban, maritime, Upper Egypt, borders, rural maritime, rural Upper Egypt, and rural border governorates. The survey revealed that there are 17.2 million children in Egypt in 2010. Males are 51 percent and females 49 percent. Around 487,200 children ages 5-17 dropped out of school. Almost one in ten children ages 5-17 work. Those working children are often exposed to serious risks including exhaustion, dust, extreme high or low temperatures, chemical materials, or other inhumane circumstances. The survey was conducted in coordination with the International Labor Organization and the Ministry of Manpower.
