The most innocent toy can have the most opaque origin
There is something paradoxical about giving a child a toy. The gesture is pure: we want them to play, to learn, to be happy. But the object we place in their hands sometimes travels thousands of kilometres and passes through factories in countries where workers have no right to unionise, where employment contracts are irregular, and where supply chain transparency is, at best, voluntary.
According to the EIU Democracy Index 2024, China scores 2.12 out of 10. It is an authoritarian regime. And it manufactures 80% of the toys sold worldwide.
This is not a minor data point. It is the starting point for any serious conversation about responsible consumption in the children's category.
LEGO: the exception that proves the rule
LEGO is Danish. Founded in Billund in 1932, the company has maintained for decades a manufacturing strategy that runs directly counter to the dominant model in the sector. Its main factories are in Denmark (EIU 9.28), Hungary (EIU 6.96) and the Czech Republic (EIU 7.69). None in China — despite the company announcing in 2019 the opening of a plant in Jiaxing to supply the Asian market.
The decision to maintain production in Europe is not merely sentimental. It is strategic and, in democratic terms, significant. A LEGO brick made in Billund comes from a country where a factory worker can go on strike without losing their job. That does not appear on the box. But it exists.
Playmobil: Germany and Malta
Playmobil belongs to the German Brandstätter Group. Its iconic figures are manufactured in Zirndorf (Germany, EIU 8.58) and a plant in Malta (EIU 8.58). The company has resisted pressure to move production to Asia, a decision that raises the cost of the product but maintains supply chain traceability.
Schleich, BIG and Ravensburger: the German triangle
Schleich manufactures in Germany and Portugal (EIU 8.10). BIG, maker of the iconic Bobby Car, produces entirely in Germany. Ravensburger has its main production in Ravensburg and Waldshut, in southern Germany. These brands represent a manufacturing model that does not depend on labour arbitrage.
Fisher-Price and Mattel: the reverse
Fisher-Price is a division of Mattel. And Mattel manufactures primarily in China (EIU 2.12) and Mexico (EIU 6.41). In China, an independent trade union in a toy factory is illegal. A journalist investigating working conditions in that factory can be detained. That is part of what the EIU index measures.
What to look for on the label
- →Look for brands that publish supply chain audits. LEGO and Playmobil do; many low-cost brands do not.
- →Prefer brands with recognised labour certifications such as SA8000 or membership of the UN Global Compact.
- →Be wary of prices well below market level on toys from unrecognised brands: the margin is achieved somewhere in the chain, and that place is usually the worker.
- →Check the country of manufacture, not just the country of the brand. A Swiss brand may manufacture in Vietnam (EIU 3.08).
How DemocracyMarket helps
At DemocracyMarket, every product in the Children's category has passed our supply chain verification. It is not enough for the brand to be German or Danish: we verify that all relevant components come from countries with an EIU score above 6.0. If a single component fails that threshold, the product does not appear in the marketplace.
The toys you will find on DemocracyMarket come primarily from Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries — the countries that lead the democratic index and have the highest concentration of toy manufacturers with traceable chains.
