Nearly Two-Thirds of Children in South Sudan Engaged in Child Labor, According to New Report

Author: Vera Rousseff

October 28, 2025

HRRC strongly advocates for the protection of all children against child labor, particularly when the work is hazardous or exploitative. We urge the international community to support leaders and activists in South Sudan in their efforts to combat child labor.

Children walk to the Malaika Primary School in Juba, South Sudan. “Education remains the strongest protective factor,” Save the Children said [Image credit: Samir Bol/Reuters]

A new report has found that nearly two-thirds of South Sudanese children aged between five and 17 years are engaged in the ‘worst’ forms of child labor.

The National Child Labour Study was released last Friday by South Sudan’s Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the humanitarian organization Save the Children. The report surveyed children in more than 418 households from across seven states in South Sudan and engaged over 200 stakeholders through interviews and focus groups.

According to the report, 64% of children aged between five and 17 are involved in forced labor, sexual exploitation, armed conflict, and drug-related activities—work referred to by the report as the ‘worst’ forms of child labor. In certain regions, the prevalence of child labor is even higher. In Kapoeta South, a county located in the southeast part of the country, researchers found that 90% of children are engaged in child labor, with many involved in farming, caring for livestock, or gold mining.

The study also uncovered instances of children being involved in armed conflict, particularly in Kapoeta South, as well as in the counties of Akobo and Bentiu. Overall, approximately 10% of children surveyed reported experiences of engagement with armed groups.

Researchers found that, over time, children tend to progress towards increasingly dangerous or exploitative forms of work. Many start out with ‘light’ work before transitioning to more coercive or hazardous activities—eventually reaching the worst forms of labor that can result in illness, abandonment, or even enslavement. The risks also vary by gender, with girls often more involved in domestic work and child marriage, while boys are frequently exposed to more hazardous activities or military-related work.

The reasons for South Sudan’s high rates of child labor are complex and cannot be attributed to poverty alone. The country has experienced multiple crises that have forced children into labor, such as flooding, food shortages, and foreign aid cuts. 57% of the population is currently facing acute levels of hunger. Local conflict among armed groups is also a problem in certain parts of the country, such as in the southwestern Yambio region, where the study found that the prevalence of child labor is partly due to child marriages and local conflict. In Yambio, like in Kapoeta South, nine out of ten children surveyed by the study are involved in child labor.

Experts emphasize the importance of education and poverty reduction when it comes to addressing the problem of child labor. “Education remains the strongest protective factor, with children who attend school far less likely to be engaged in exploitative labour,” stated Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s South Sudan Country Director. “This shows the incredible value of education in South Sudan.” He further pointed out that, “children from food-secure households and educated caregivers face significantly lower risk, underscoring the link between poverty reduction and child protection.”

South Sudan has experienced frequent violence and humanitarian crises since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011, despite involvement by the United Nations and numerous attempts at peace agreements. The roots of the country’s instability can often be traced to its history under British colonial rule, which contributed to problems of weak governance and ethnic tensions. In spite of these challenges, however, local leaders are fighting to address the crisis of child labor. According to Nyamandi, “If we strengthen education, rebuild livelihoods, and prioritise child protection, we can reverse this trend. Every child deserves the chance to learn and thrive—not to work to survive.”

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Glossary

• Abandonment: when someone, especially a child, is left alone or without care or support.

• Acute: very severe or intense; something that is happening at a critical or extreme level.

• Armed conflict: fighting between organized groups that use weapons, such as soldiers or militias.

• Caregiver: a person who takes care of someone else, such as a parent or guardian.

• Child labor: when children are made to work, especially in jobs that are dangerous, harmful to their health, or prevent them from going to school.

• Coercive: using force or pressure to make someone do something against their will.

• Colonial rule: a time when one country controls another country or region, often exploiting its people and resources.

• Domestic work: work done in the home, such as cleaning, cooking, or caring for children.

• Ethnic tensions: disagreements or hostility between different cultural or ethnic groups.

• Exploitation: taking unfair advantage of someone, often to make them work or suffer for another person’s gain.

• Food-secure: having reliable access to enough safe and nutritious food to live a healthy life.

• Forced labor: work that people are made to do against their will, usually through threats or violence.

• Foreign aid: help given by one country to another, usually in the form of money, food, or supplies.

• Governance: the way a country or organization is managed and how decisions are made.

• Hazardous: dangerous or risky; something that can cause harm.

• Humanitarian crises: situations where large numbers of people face serious threats to their lives, health, or safety because of events like war, natural disasters, famine, or disease outbreaks.

• Ministry: a government department responsible for specific areas, like education or labor.

• Poverty reduction: efforts to help people earn enough money and improve their living conditions.

• Prevalence: how common or widespread something is.

• Protective factor: something that lowers the risk of harm or danger (for example, education protects children from being forced to work).

• Sexual exploitation: forcing someone to perform sexual acts or using them sexually for profit or power.

• Stakeholder: a person or group that has an interest or involvement in something, such as a project or policy.

• Surveyed: asked questions in a study or research project to gather information.