Family Care in Mongolia: Children as Unpaid Carer

In the International Journal of Care and Caring, Myagmarsuren Boldbaatar, Otgontugs Banzragch and Khishigt Dandarchuluun investigate the role of children as caregivers in Mongolia. They find that nearly a third of Mongolian children aged 12 to 17 take on care-related tasks in the family, and call for policies that recognize these contributions while also addressing their impacts on educational engagement.

Otgontugs Banzragch is a Professor of Economics at the National University of Mongolia and leads the Care Economies in Context Mongolia team.

Citation

Boldbaatar, M., Banzragch, O., & Dandarchuluun, K. (2026). Family care in Mongolia: children as unpaid carers. International Journal of Care and Caring, 10(1), 29-52. Retrieved Mar 6, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1332/23978821Y2025D000000169

Abstract

This article investigates the role of children as carers in Mongolia, a country with a limited formal care infrastructure and distinct cultural and economic characteristics. Using nationally representative data from the 2019 Mongolian Time Use Survey, we find that 32 percent of children aged 12–17 engage in caregiving activities, performing 35 percent of childcare work in the family, compared to 48 percent of adults. Children’s care work is highly gendered and varies by location, with urban children more likely to care for siblings and less likely to care for older or disabled family members. Our regression analysis reveals that girls with younger siblings are more likely to provide care. While caregiving does not significantly reduce children’s time spent on learning and intensive unpaid work, it has a substantial negative impact on educational engagement. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing children’s contributions to family care and the need to address the educational trade-offs associated with unpaid work.