Every day, approximately 1,350 girls worldwide enter into marriage before the age of 18, according to data from the Girls Not Brides coalition, a network of more than 1,000 organizations operating across 100 countries. While child marriage can involve both boys and girls, girls represent about 90% of those affected, frequently marrying significantly older men. The consequences of such unions extend beyond the risk of sexual violence, encompassing truncated education, heightened poverty and domestic abuse risks, and poor health outcomes, including elevated maternal mortality rates.
A recent analysis by the Center for Global Development estimates that child marriage results in an annual economic loss of $175 billion due to diminished productivity and increased health burdens. Despite some progress over the past decade, with countries such as Grenada, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Kuwait, and Portugal instituting bans last year, setbacks have been reported in certain regions.
Notably, in May, the Taliban introduced a judicial code permitting child marriage at ages even younger than the previous minimum of 16, and restricting the ability of wives who married as children to seek divorce without the husband's consent. Human rights advocates report a significant rise in forced and early marriages in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control in 2021, compounded by the prohibition of secondary education for girls and deteriorating economic conditions.
Conflict and crisis-affected countries show child marriage rates nearly double the global average, with over one in three girls marrying before reaching adulthood, according to Girls Not Brides. The collapse of economic and social support systems, along with entrenched patriarchal norms, often compel families to consider marriage a protective measure for their daughters, despite evidence that these unions frequently expose girls to violence.
In Gaza, official reports indicated a decline in child marriage rates from more than 28% in 2009 to under 18% in 2022. However, ongoing conflict has reversed this trend, with the United Nations Population Fund citing rising cases documented by local social workers.
Child marriage is not confined to developing countries. In the United States, all 50 states allowed minors to marry until 2018; since then, 17 states have instituted minimum age laws, though New Mexico, California, and Mississippi have no statutory age floor. In the United Kingdom, recent legal reforms raised the minimum marriage age to 18 in England and Wales as of 2023, whereas in Northern Ireland and Scotland, individuals aged 16 or older can marry with or without parental consent.
Australia permits 16- and 17-year-olds to marry under exceptional circumstances. Despite legislative measures, enforcement challenges persist, often due to unregistered marriages or corruption, although such laws contribute to raising public awareness.
In Sierra Leone, following a 2024 increase in the minimum marriage age to 18, authorities have initiated legal proceedings in a forcible marriage case involving a 17-year-old girl. Four men, including her father and alleged groom, face substantial prison sentences or fines, with the new law also criminalizing attendance at child marriage ceremonies.
Advocacy efforts at the community level remain vital in empowering girls to resist early marriage. However, reductions in international aid threaten these initiatives. Experts emphasize that ending child marriage requires comprehensive strategies that include access to education, economic opportunities, reproductive healthcare, and broader social protections for girls worldwide.