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NAMIBIA
NAMIBIA
PREVALENCE OF MARRIAGE BY AGE 15
FEMALE
2%
MALE
N/A
PREVALENCE OF MARRIAGE BY AGE 18
7%
1%
Year of data:
2013
Source:
DHS 2013
Year of data:
2013
Source:
DHS 2013
LEGAL AGE OF MARRIAGE
21 or 18
21 or 18
LOWEST PERMITTED AGE OF MARRIAGE DUE TO EXCEPTIONS IN THE LAW
18 or no minimum age
18 or no minimum age
Law(s) which govern marriage and/or child marriage:
Marriage Act 2024 (not yet in force), Marriage Act 1961 (amended 2019), Married Persons Equality Act 1996, Child Care and Protection Act 2015 (amended 2019)
ABOUT THE LAW AND ANY EXCEPTIONS
In 2024, the President of Namibia signed the Marriage Act 2024, which replaces the Marriage Act of 1961, and repeals sections of other laws which enable child marriage. Once the law is in force, Namibia will have a legal age of marriage of 18 with parental consent, or 21 without consent, with no exceptions. However, as of April 2025, this act has not come into force.
Namibia's current laws are conflicting on the legal age of marriage. The 1996 Married Persons Equality Act amended the legal age from 21 to 18. However, the Child Care and Protection Act refers to the Marriage Act as the basis for the legal age of marriage, and this is set at 21. In any case, the Marriage Act 1961 and the Married Persons Equality Act both allow marriage under the legal age with the written permission of a minister or any staff member in the Public Service as authorised by the minister, with no absolute minimum age. Customary marriages occur in Namibia but the Constitution states that customary laws are only valid if they do not conflict with statutory laws.
CAN MARRIED OR PREGNANT GIRLS GO TO SCHOOL?
The Child Care and Protection Act guarantees the right to education without discrimination, including based on pregnancy.