Three in four girls in Niger got married before 18

Key Takeaways

  • Niger (76%), the Central African Republic (61%), and Chad (61%) top the global list, meaning the majority of women in these countries marry as children.
  • Seven of the top ten countries by prevalence are African, showing that child marriage is most entrenched relative to population on the continent.
  • Countries in South Asia — Bangladesh (51%) and Nepal (35%) — and Latin America — Suriname (36%) and Belize (34%) — also feature, highlighting the global nature of the challenge.
  • While some countries have larger populations, this list ranks the share of girls affected, not the absolute number, meaning even smaller populations can show extreme societal impact if the prevalence is high.

Child marriage remains a deeply rooted practice in several parts of the world, but its impact relative to population is most acute in Africa. In Niger, 76% of girls marry before reaching adulthood, meaning more than three out of every four girls experience early marriage, a proportion unmatched globally. Similarly high rates in the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, and South Sudan demonstrate how child marriage is systemically normalised in certain populations, rather than simply being a function of large population size. Nigeria, with a lower prevalence of 30%, did not make the top 20.

The prevalence-focused ranking underscores the intensity of risk per girl, highlighting how even countries with smaller populations can face severe societal and developmental consequences.

Outside Africa, high rates in South Asia and Latin America show that child marriage remains a global challenge. However, Africa carries the heaviest population-relative burden, making targeted interventions on the continent critical for achieving global progress.

Source:

UNICEF

Period:

2024
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