Ending

CHILD
MARRIAGE
Progress and prospects

UNICEF/BANA2013-01082/Kiron
The current situation
Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were aged 15 to 19 who are currently married have husbands who
married before their 18th birthday. More than one in three are 10 or more years older than they are. Child marriage is
(about 250 million) entered into union before age 15. a manifestation of gender inequality, reflecting social norms
that perpetuate discrimination against girls.
Boys are also married as children, but girls are
disproportionately affected. In Niger, for instance, 77 per Child marriage among girls is most common in South Asia
cent of women aged 20 to 49 were married before age 18 in
and sub-Saharan Africa, and the 10 countries with the highest
contrast to 5 per cent of men in the same age group. Even
rates are found in these two regions. Niger has the highest
in countries where child marriage is less common, the same
gender differences are found. In the Republic of Moldova, for overall prevalence of child marriage in the world. However,
example, 15 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 were married Bangladesh has the highest rate of marriage involving girls
before age 18 compared to 2 per cent of men. Furthermore, under age 15. South Asia is home to almost half (42 per cent)
girls are often married to considerably older men. In of all child brides worldwide; India alone accounts for one
Mauritania and Nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls third of the global total.

Child marriage affects girls in far greater numbers Almost half of all child brides worldwide live in
than boys South Asia; 1 in 3 are in India
Number of women and men aged 18 years and older who were married or Percentage distribution of women aged 18 years and older who were married
in union before ages 15 and 18 or in union before age 18, by region

Central and Eastern Europe and

720 million Married before age 15 the Commonwealth of Independent
Married after age 15 but before age 18 States (CEE/CIS), 4% Industrialized countries, 2%
Middle East and North Africa, 5%

Eastern and Southern Africa, 6%

West and Central Africa, 7% India, 33%

156 million Latin America and South Asia, 42%

the Caribbean, 9%

Women Men East Asia and the Pacific, 25%

Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering around 50 per cent of the global population of Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering around 50 per cent of the global population of
women and men aged 18 years and older. women aged 18 years and older.

The highest rates of child marriage are found in The 10 countries with the highest rates of
South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa child marriage
Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union before
before ages 15 and 18, by region ages 15 and 18, in the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriage

100
South Asia 56
Married before age 15
90
West and Central Africa 46 Married after age 15 but before age 18
80 77
Eastern and Southern Africa 38 74
70 69
Latin America and the Caribbean 30
61
58 58 58 60
60
Middle East and North Africa 24
52 52
50
East Asia and the Pacific 21
Married before age 15
40
CEE/CIS 14 Married after age 15 but before age 18
30

20
Least developed countries 52
10
World 29
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Nepal

Burkina Faso

Ethiopia

Guinea

India

Central African
Republic

Mali

Chad

Bangladesh

Niger

Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering around 50 per cent of the global population of
women aged 20 to 49 years. Regional estimates represent data covering at least 50 per cent of the regional
population. Data coverage is below 50 per cent for East Asia and the Pacific region due to the lack of
comparable data on child marriage for China in UNICEF global databases.
Girls most at risk
Not all girls face the same risk of becoming child brides, even median age at first marriage is 19.7 years for women in the
within countries. In Ethiopia, the rate of child marriage is three richest quintile compared to 15.4 for the poorest women. The
times higher in the northern region of Amhara (75 per cent) same pattern is also observed in the Dominican Republic,
than in the capital city of Addis Ababa (26 per cent). Child
where at least half of the poorest women entered into their
marriage is also more common among certain population
groups. In Serbia, for example, 8 per cent of women overall first marriage or union at about age 17 compared to age
were married as children; however, the share is more than half 21 among the richest women. Across all regions, girls who
(54 per cent) among women in Roma communities. live in rural areas are more likely to become child brides
than their urban counterparts. This difference is especially
There is also a substantial gap in the prevalence of child
striking in some countries in West and Central Africa and in
marriage between the poorest and richest. Females in the
poorest quintile are 2.5 times more likely to marry in childhood Latin American and the Caribbean, where the prevelence of
than those living in the wealthiest quintile. This disparity is child marriage in rural areas is about twice the level found in
particularly pronounced in certain countries. In India, the urban areas.

In every region, the poor are most at risk of child marriage

Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union before age 18, by wealth quintile and by region

Poorest quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Richest quintile
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
CEE/CIS East Asia and Middle East and Latin America Eastern and West and South Asia Least developed World
the Pacific North Africa and the Caribbean Southern Africa Central Africa countries

Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering around 50 per cent of the global population of women aged 20 to 49 years. Regional estimates represent data covering at least 50 per cent of the regional population.
Data coverage is below 50 per cent for East Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the Dominican Republic and India, the Child marriage is most common in rural areas
wealthiest women marry about four years later Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union
before age 18, by place of residence
than the poorest women
Median age at first marriage or union among women aged 25 to 49 years,
Each dot represents a country
by wealth quintile, in selected countries
100
22 years
21.3 90
21 years 80
Dominican Child marriage is more common in rural areas
Republic
20 years 70
19.6 19.7 Nigeria
India 60
19 years Senegal
18.3
50
Rural

17.8 Togo
18 years Suriname
17.5 40
17.2
17.0 Ghana
17 years
30 Guyana
16.3 Bangladesh
Child marriage is more common in urban areas
16 years 15.6 20
15.4 Peru
15.6
15 years 10
15.0 15.2
15.0
0
14 years 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Poorest quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Richest quintile Urban
 Lifelong sometimes intergenerational consequences
Girls who marry are not only denied their childhood. They pressure to become pregnant once married can be intense,
are often socially isolated cut off from family and friends and child brides typically end up having many children to
and other sources of support with limited opportunities care for while still young. In Nepal, for example, over one
for education and employment. Households typically make
third of women aged 20 to 24 who married before their
decisions about girls schooling and marriage jointly, not
sequentially, and education tends to lose out. Accordingly, 15th birthday had three or more children compared to 1 per
lower levels of education are found among women who cent of women who married as adults. Child brides are also
married in childhood. In Malawi, for instance, nearly two less likely to receive proper medical care while pregnant. In
thirds of women with no formal education were child brides countries including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal and Niger,
compared to 5 per cent of women who attended secondary women who married as adults were at least twice as likely
school or higher levels of education.
to have delivered their most recent baby in a health facility
Child brides are often unable to effectively negotiate safer compared to women who married before age 15. This, along
sex, leaving themselves vulnerable to sexually transmitted with the fact that girls are not physically mature enough to
infections, including HIV, along with early pregnancy. The give birth, places both mothers and their babies at risk.

Child brides tend to have low levels of education Child brides end up having many children to care
Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union for while still young
before age 18, by level of education
Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who have had three or more
children, by age at first marriage or union, in selected countries
Each dot represents a country
Mozambique
100
90 Burkina Faso
Child marriage is more common Mali
80 among educated women
Secondary education or higher

70 Niger

60 Dominican Republic

50 Child marriage is more common Egypt

among uneducated women
40 Ethiopia
30 Sierra Leone Nepal
Peru Niger
20 Viet Nam
Uganda Married before age 15
10 Peru
Ghana Malawi Married at age 18 or older
0 Bangladesh
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
No education 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Child brides are less likely to receive medical care during pregnancy than women who married as adults
Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years attended at least four times during pregnancy by any provider, by age at first marriage or union, in selected countries

100 98
Married before age 15 91
90 Married at age 18 or older
84
80 78
72
70
62
60 59 59
53
50
50
42 43
40 38

29
30
23

20 16
10 11
10

0
Ethiopia Bangladesh Niger Nepal Mali Egypt Burkina Faso Peru Viet Nam
Progress to date
The practice of child marriage is slowly declining. Progress is involving girls under age 15, dropping from 32 per cent to 17
most dramatic when it comes to the marriage of girls under per cent; the marriage of girls under age 18, however, is still
15 years of age. Globally, 1 in 4 young women alive today commonplace. Although rates of child marriage are lower
were married in childhood versus 1 in 3 in the early 1980s. overall in Latin America and the Caribbean, no significant
The proportion of young women who entered into marriage change has been seen in the prevalence of child marriage.
before age 15 declined from 12 per cent to 8 per cent over the
same period. In Indonesia and Morocco, the risk of marrying before age 18
is less than half of what it was three decades ago. In Ethiopia,
But progress has been uneven across regions and countries. women aged 20 to 24 are marrying about three years later
In the Middle East and North Africa, the percentage of women than their counterparts three decades ago. However, in some
married before age 18 has dropped by about half, from 34 countries where child marriage is common, including Burkina
per cent to 18 per cent, over the last three decades. In South Faso and Niger, the median age at first marriage has not
Asia, the decline has been especially marked for marriages changed significantly.

Globally, the practice of child marriage is declining, especially when it comes to the marriage of girls
under age 15
Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were married or in union before ages 15 and 18

50
Married before age 15
Married after age 15 but before age 18
40
33
31 31 31
30 28
26

20

10

0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering at least 50 per cent of the global population of women aged 20 to 24 years.

The Middle East and North Africa has made the In Ethiopia, young women are marrying later
fastest progress in reducing child marriage than their counterparts three decades ago
Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were married or in union Median age at first marriage or union among women aged 20 to 24 years,
before age 18, by region in selected countries

70 20 years
South Asia
60
Ethiopia
West and Central Africa
19 years
50 18.9
Eastern and Southern Africa 18.0
18 years 17.9
40
Burkina Faso
Middle East and North Africa
Latin America and the Caribbean
30 17 years
East Asia and the Pacific
20
16 years 15.6
Niger
CEE/CIS
10 15.8
15.6
15 years
0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Note: Estimates are based on a subset of countries covering at least 50 per cent of the global population of
women aged 20 to 24 years. Regional estimates represent data covering at least 50 per cent of the regional
14 years
population. Data coverage is below 50 per cent for East Asia and the Pacific region due to the lack of
comparable data on child marriage for China in UNICEF global databases.
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Prospects
But that was the past. What does the future hold for present
and future generations of girls?
Of the worlds 1.1 billion girls, 22 million are already married.
Hundreds of millions more are at risk, and the number will
only grow as populations increase. Here are a couple of
possible scenarios:
If there is no reduction in the practice of child marriage, up
to 280 million girls alive today are at risk of becoming brides
by the time they turn 18. Due to population growth, this
number will approach 320 million by 2050. The total number
of women married in childhood will grow from more than
700 million today to approximately 950 million by 2030, and
nearly 1.2 billion by 2050. The number of girls under age 18
married each year will grow from 15 million today to 16.5
million in 2030 to over 18 million in 2050.
However, we know that progress has occurred over the last
three decades. If the current rate of progress is sustained,
the proportion of women married as children will continue to
decrease: from 33 per cent in 1985 to 22 per cent by 2030 and
to 18 per cent by 2050. Despite gains, this rate of decline is
barely fast enough to keep pace with population growth. Even
if progress continues, the total number of women married
as children will still be around 700 million in 2050, although
nearly 490 million girls will have avoided early marriage.

Unless progress is accelerated, the global number of child brides will remain at least as high as it is today

Number of women aged 18 and older who were married or in union before age 18
If prevalence remains at today's levels 1.2 billion
If observed decline continues
If progress is accelerated

720 million 710 million

450 million

Today 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

If progress is accelerated, there will be 1 in 10 child brides in the world in 2050 compared to 1 in 4 today

33% Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years

who were married or in union before age 18

26%

Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 expected to be married or in

union before age 18 if observed decline continues
18%

Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 expected to be married

11%
or in union before age 18 if progress is accelerated

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
To reduce the number to under 700 million, progress will doubling the current rate of decline would not be enough to
need to accelerate. If the rate of decline seen over the past reduce the number of child brides.
three decades is doubled, the total number of women who
married as children would drop to approximately 570 million In Africa, Nigeria is expected to have the largest absolute
number of child brides. The country has seen a decline in
by 2030 and 450 million by 2050. We know such progress is
child marriage of about 1 per cent per year over the past
possible since the rate of decline from 2000 is already faster
three decades. At this pace, the total number of child brides
than the average achieved over the past three decades. is expected to double by 2050.
Sub-Saharan Africa presents the most extreme scenario. In contrast to global trends, some countries have experienced
Even if the current pace of progress is maintained, it will stagnant or even increasing levels of child marriage. In
not be fast enough to offset population growth. The number Burkina Faso, prevalence has remained constant at around
of women married as children will double by 2050, and the 50 per cent for the past three decades. If this persists, the
region will surpass South Asia in having the largest number number of child brides will increase substantially in the
of child brides from the current level. In this region, even coming years as the population expands.

Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest number and global share of child brides by 2050
Number of women aged 20 to 24 years who were married or in union before age 18, according to three scenarios

Prevalence remains at todays levels Observed decline continues Progress is accelerated

90 Rest of world
11 South Asia
72 72 72 East Asia and the Pacific
Sub-Saharan Africa
14 14 14
34 56
Millions

8
28 28 28
36
10 20
6
4 12
21 21 21
36 1
24
17
9 9 9
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050

1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050

1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
In Nigeria, a continued decline in child marriage Due to rapid population growth, the number
will not be enough to offset population growth, in of child brides in Burkina Faso will increase
contrast to Indonesia dramatically, unlike Colombia
Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 Number of women aged 20 to 24 years Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 Number of women aged 20 to 24 years
years married or in union before age 18 married or in union before age 18 years married or in union before age 18 married or in union before age 18
Indonesia Indonesia Burkina Faso Burkina Faso
Nigeria Nigeria Colombia Colombia

6,000,000 1,000,000
56%

5,000,000 Steady around 52% 800,000

44% 43%
4,000,000
33% 600,000
28%
3,000,000
Steady around 23% 400,000
17% 2,000,000

7% 200,000
1,000,000
4%

0 0
1985

1990

1995
2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030
2035

2040

2045

2050

1985

1990

1995
2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030
2035

2040

2045

2050
 Ending child marriage will help
break the intergenerational cycle of
poverty by allowing girls and women
to participate more fully in society.
Empowered and educated girls are
better able to nourish and care for
their children, leading to healthier,
smaller families. When girls are
allowed to be girls, everybody wins.

UNICEF
Data and Analytics Section
Division of Data, Research and Policy
3 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017, USA

Telephone: +1 212 326 7000

E-mail: data@unicef.org
data.unicef.org

Data sources: UNICEF global databases, 2014, based on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and other nationally
representative surveys, 2005-2013. Population data are from: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Population
Prospects: The 2012 revision, CD-ROM edition, United Nations, New York, 2013.
Suggested citation: United Nations Childrens Fund, Ending Child Marriage: Progress and prospects, UNICEF, New York, 2014.