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CHILD MARRIAGE RATES AND LAWS
The laws which protect children from child marriage are different in every country. In many countries, even if one law makes child marriage illegal, there may be another law which allows exceptions to this. This makes it very confusing for children to understand their rights, and difficult to implement strong child protection measures.
In the grid below, we have provided information about child marriage laws in the countries with the highest rates of child marriage. The list is in alphabetical order by country, so please navigate to the next page(s) if you do not see your country listed below.
The information provided includes:
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the rates of child marriage for girls and for boys (and the source and year of this data)
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the laws which relate to child marriage in the country
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any exceptions to the laws
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the legal age for marriage in each country
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the age at which exceptions to the law allow children to marry in practice
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any laws which prevent or enable girls who are married or pregnant to stay in school
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context about the country which might make child marriage more prevalent, such as whether or not it is affected by conflict or climate disaster impacts.
You may need to scroll horizontally to find all of the information about a country.
CHILD MARRIAGE RATES AND LAWS
Sources:
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Rates of child marriage: UNICEF (national sources identified in table)
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Laws on child marriage, exceptions, cultural/traditional marriage, and laws on pregnant/married girls' education: Girls Not Brides Child Marriage Atlas, UNESCO HerAtlas, national government websites
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Conflict-affected states: World Bank
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Climate vulnerability: Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative
Countries | Girls Married by 15 (%) | Girls Married by 18 (%) | Year of Data (girls) | Data Source (girls) | Boys Married by 18 (%) | Year of Data (boys) | Data source (boys) | Law(s) about Child Marriage | Year of Law | Legal Age of Marriage: girls | Legal Age of Marriage: boys | Age in practice (based on exceptions to the law) | What Exceptions Apply to the Laws on Child Marriage? | Is there a tradition or custom of child marriage? | Can married and pregnant girls go to school? | Is the country a fragile or conflict-affected state? | Is it one of the 50 most climate-
vulnerable states? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 10 | 29 | 2022-23 | MICS 2022-23 | 7 | 2015 | DHS 2015 | No minimum age | No minimum age | No minimum age | A variety of contradictory laws have existed in Afghanistan since 1977, including differential laws for Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims. However, under the current regime, a decree on women's rights has been issued whch says that women should not be married without their consent, but no minimum age for marriage is specified. | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Yes | ||
Angola | 8 | 30 | 2015-16 | DHS 2015-16 | 6 | 2015-16 | DHS 2015-16 | Family Code | 1988 | 18 | 18 | 15 (girls), 16 (boys) | Boys can marry at 16 and girls can marry at 15 in exceptional cases where it is in the interest of the minors. | No | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | Yes | |
Bangladesh | 17 | 51 | 2022 | DHS 2022 | 4 | 2011 | DHS 2011 | Child Marriage Restraint Act | 2017 | 18 | 21 | No minimum age | The Child Marriage Restraint Act allows for 'special cases'. In addition, Bangladeshi child sexual abuse laws have gaps, and sex with a child aged 13 or older in a marriage is not classified as rape. | Yes, but all marriages have to be legally registered. | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | Yes | |
Barbados | 8 | 29 | 2012 | MICS 2012 | #N/A | 18 | 18 | 16 | Children aged 16 and 17 can be married with parental consent. | Yes: this takes the form of 'visiting unions' or 'visiting relationships' where the couple do not live together full time. | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | ||||||
Belize | 6 | 34 | 2015-16 | MICS 2015-16 | 22 | 2015-16 | MICS 2015-16 | Belize Marriage Act | 2011 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 year olds can be married with parental or judicial consent | No | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | ||
Benin | 6 | 28 | 2021-22 | MICS 2021-22 | 5 | 2021-22 | MICS 2021-22 | Children's Code, Family Code | 2015, 2004 | 18 | 18 | No minimum age | Marriage below the age of 18 is possible with the consent of the person holding parental authority, with no minimum age requirement. A judicial exception is also provided for, again with no minimum age requirement. | Yes | The Children´s Code contains a provision concerning the continuation of education for pregnant girls and young mothers, but puts the obligation of the continuation of the young mothers’ education on the male responsible for the pregnancy. | Yes | |
Bhutan | 6 | 26 | 2010 | MICS 2010 | #N/A | Marriage Act, Child Care and Protection Act | 1996/2017, 2011 | 18 | 18 | 18 | The legal age of marriage is set at 18 in Bhutan, and the Child Care and Protection Act identifies child marriage as a form of sexual abuse. | Yes: interfamilial marriage (between cousins and in-laws), but no legal exemptions on minimum age are made for this. | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | Yes | |||
Brazil | 6 | 26 | 2006 | PNDS 2006 | #N/A | Civil Code | 2002 | 18 | 18 | 16 | Children can marry from the age of 16 with parental consent. Prior to 2019, Brazil allowed marriage below the age of 16 in the case of pregnancy or to avoid a criminal sentence for statutory rape. | No | No explicit law protects the right to education for married and pregnant girls. | ||||
Burkina Faso | 9 | 51 | 2015 | EMDS 2015 | 2 | 2015 | EMDS 2015 | Code des Personnes et de la Famille | 1989 | 17 | 20 | 15 for girls, 18 for boys | Civil courts can authorise marriages using the lower age limits. In 2018, the revised Penal Code penalises all forms of child marriage, but without raising the minimum ages. | Yes | This is unclear due to contradictions. For example, while one article explicitly states that pregnant students cannot be excluded from private and public schools, there are different rules for boarding schools, and after childbirth. | Yes | Yes |
Cameroon | 11 | 30 | 2018 | DHS 2018 | 3 | 2018 | DHS 2018 | Penal Code, Civil Code | 2016, 1951 | 15 | 18 | No minimum age | The Penal Code punishes marriage below the age of 18, but this conflicts with the Civil Code, which allows marriage of girls aged 15 and boys at 18 and which allows exemption by the President. | Yes | A government circular ended a ban on pregnant girls attending school, and allows pregnant girls to stay in school until the 26th week of pregnancy, and to return after childbirth. | Yes |