Migration and Child Labor in Nepal

Dr. Bal Kumar KC10 July 2012

1. Demographic scenario

• Nepal’s 2011 Census enumerated in June 2011 recorded 26.6 million population in Nepal with PGR 1.4, doubles in 50 years.

• Population below poverty line are 25%.• TFR 2.6; rural TFR 2.8; urban TFR 1.4; IMR 46; CBR 25; CDR 6; MMR

229; CPR 49.8; Under 5 mortality rate 54.• Life expectancy at birth 67 years, 68 years for females and 66 years for

males.• Prevalence of marriage among girls before 18 years.• 20% of all births to women less than 20 years of age.• About 37% percent young population less than 15 years may contribute

to population growth and migration in the country.

1. Demographic scenarioFigure 1.1: Population growth rate by district, 2011

Demographic scenario Cont… Figure 1.2: Average household size by district - 2011

Demographic scenario Cont…Figure 1.3: Population size and annual growth rate by census year

Demographic scenario Cont…

• High unemployment and underemployment rates of 38.8% accelerate the incidence of poverty and migration within and outside the country.

• Sex ratio decreased from 99.8 in 2001 to 94.41• 17% urban and 83 % rural population.• Migration from hills to the Tarai plains and urban areas for

education, employment, health and social services.• Increasing trend of Foreign labor migration.• Population absent from home for more than six months and

living abroad was 1.92 million, 2.5 times higher than in the 2001.

Demographic scenario Cont…

• Illiterate family members migrate inside the country. • Richer households from the Hills migrate to urban areas in

Nepal and to the Middle-East, Malaysia and other developed countries.

• Lack of employment is the most important reason for internal and international migration in Nepal.

• Migration of a bread winner increases work burden on women, children and elderly and children migrate to India as seasonal laborers.

• Adult seasonal laborers bring home HIV infections and transmit to their spouses .

Figure 1.4: Age Structure of Population by Broad Age Group, 1995/1996-2010/2011

Figure 1.5: Sex Ratio and Female Headed Household Heads, 1995.1996-2010/2011

Literacy and EducationFigure 2.1: Adult Literacy Rate, 1995/1996-2010/2011

2.2 Migration Data from Nepal Labor Force Survey, 2008

• About 33% of the population had migrated to their current location either from another VDC or municipality or from a different country.

• The lifetime migration rate all females was 44%. Of this, 88% were internal migrants and 12% from abroad.

• The overall lifetime migration rate for males was 21%. Of this, 85 percent were internal migrants and 15 percent from abroad..

• 80% of migration was from rural areas of Nepal, 7% from urban areas and 13% from abroad.

• Marriage was the reason for 48% of lifetime migrants, followed by 30% for family reasons and 8% for an easier lifestyle.

2. Migration Situation in Nepal

• About 15% of the total population was absent inside and outside Nepal in 2008.

• About 23% of the population aged 15 years and older was absent.

• 6% of less than 15 years of age were also absent from home in 2008.

• Out of the total absentees aged five years and above, 21% were studying and 51% working.

• About 29% of households had at least one member living abroad while 19% of households had at least one member absent from home but residing within the country.

2. Migration Situation in Nepal Cont…

Foreign born, foreign citizens and absentees, 2001 Census

• Foreign born population increased by almost threefold from 23,400 in 1981 to 439,000 in 1991 and 608,094 in 2001.

• Out of this total foreign, almost 80 per cent have taken Nepalese citizenship.

• In case of emigration, those who were absent for more than six months going abroad were 762,181, out of which 589,050 were in India.

• The rest were destined to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arab, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, and Korea.

Figure 2.1: Absent population by eco-region, 2011

Figure 2.2: Trends in poverty incidence for Nepal, 1995-2010Note: Red scenario has the absolute poverty levels as 42, 31.5 and 13, whereas the blue scenario has 63, 49

and 25.4.

3.1: Poverty Trend in Nepal, 1995/96, 2003/04 and 2010/11

• Poverty increases with household size, number of kids under 7, female headed households, agricultural wage workers, and being Dalits.

• Poverty decreases with higher level of education, professional wage workers, households with more than 1 hectare of agricultural land

and access to facilities.

Figure 3.1: Poverty Mapping

Figure 3.3: Poverty, literacy and attendance in private school/college,

1995/96-2010/2011

Table 4.1: Countries receiving largest number of Nepalese labor migrants,1992/1993-1967/1968Countries of destination

Total Males Females

Malaysia 676260 (32.5%)Qatar 584027 (28.1%)Saudi Arab 414441 (19.8%)UAE 258979 (12.4%)Bahrain 35812 (1.7%)Kuwait 31043 (1.5%)Total 1998562 (96%)Total for all 2081034

(1000%)2046893 (98.4%)

34141 (1.6%)

Total absent 2011 census

1917903 (100%) 1663237 (86.7%)

254666 (13.3%)

4: Foreign Labor Migration

Figure 4.1: Nepalese Foreign Labor Migrants, FY 2006/2007-FY 2009/2010

Figure 4.2: Remittance (Rs. Billion) in Nepal by destination, 1995/96-2010/2011

13 46

310

7 35

208

6 11

120

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1995/96 2003/04 2010/2011

From within Nepal From outside Nepal Total remittance

Sample Size

Total Population of Children 5-14 years (in thousands)

Schooling only

Working and schooling and working only with no schooling

Working and schooling

Working only (no schooling)

Idle (doing nothing)

Child Labor Survey, 1997

19,200 6225 (100%)

2287 (36.7%)

2596 (41.6%)

1587 (25.5)

1004 (16.1%)

928 (15%)

Nepal Labor Force Survey I, 1998/1999

14,335 47% 41% 26% 15% 12%

Nepal Labor Force Survey II, 2008

15,976 6229 2111 (33.9%)

Nepal Living Standards Survey III , 2010/2011

7,020 100.0% 52.5% 41.8% 38% 3.8% 5.7%

Table 5.1: Comparison of the Incidence of Child Labor in three Major Surveys

Child population: 6,225,000

Working Children: 2,596,000 (41.7%)

Economically Active: 1,660,000 (26.7%)

Wage Child Labor: 279,000 (4.5%)

Worst Forms of Child Labor: 127,000 (2.0%) 180,000 (2.9%)

Figure 5.1: Estimates of Child Labor in Nepal

Figure 5.2: Summary of Child Labor Situation in Nepal

Total Children (5-14 years)

6,225,000

Working (Irrespective of school attendance)

2,596,000 (41.6%)

Working and Schooling

1,587,000 (25.5%)

Working Only No Schooling

1,004,000 (16.1%)

Schooling Only2,287,000 (36.7%)

Idle (Doing nothingor not stated)1,342 (21.7%)

Economic987,000 (15.9%)

Non-Economic331,000 (5.3%)

Economic673,000 (10.8%)

Non-Economic597,000 (9.6%)

Paid124,000 (2.0%)

Not Paid519,000 (8.3%)

Paid155,000 (2.5%)

Not Paid864,000 (13.9%)