Home › Indicators › Women married before age 18
Women married before age 18
What this indicator measures
Share of women aged 20 to 24 who married or entered a union before turning 18, based on household surveys (UNICEF, demographic surveys). This is practice, not law.
How to read this?
A value of 10% means that one in ten women aged 20 to 24 married before 18.
Ranking : ranked from lowest to highest
In brief
The "Women married before age 18" ranking covers 144 countries and territories. Lowest value: Norway (0 %). Highest value: Niger (76.3 %). Median: 17.1 % (data: 1988–2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 35.8 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 2.5 %. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (27.3 %) and lowest in Europe (4.7 %).
Median by continent
- Africa 27.3 % (51)
- North America 26.7 % (16)
- South America 22.2 % (11)
- Oceania 18.3 % (10)
- Asia 9.9 % (38)
- Europe 4.7 % (17)
Why this indicator matters
Marrying before adulthood can have lasting effects on a young woman's schooling, health and autonomy. This indicator makes it possible to track how common this practice is between countries.
What makes this indicator vary
How common it is depends on poverty, access to school, social norms, the legal age of marriage and how well it is enforced. Local practices can persist where the law has already changed.
Reading precautions
This is practice, not law, measured through household surveys. The measure covers women aged twenty to twenty-four, so past unions. Surveys are not carried out every year.
Full ranking
ranked from lowest to highest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇨🇱 Chile | 0 % | 2024 |
| 1er | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 0 % | 2021 |
| 1er | 🇳🇴 Norway | 0 % | 2022 |
| 4e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 0.1 % | 2020 |
| 4e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 0.1 % | 2017 |
| 4e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 0.1 % | 2017 |
| 4e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 0.1 % | 2025 |
| 8e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 0.2 % | 2022 |
| 9e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 0.7 % | 2021 |
| 10e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 0.8 % | 2022 |
| 11e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 1.7 % | 2023 |
| 12e | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 1.8 % | 2020 |
| 13e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 1.9 % | 2022 |
| 14e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 2.2 % | 2017 |
| 15e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 2.4 % | 2023 |
| 16e | 🇨🇳 China | 2.8 % | 2020 |
| 17e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 3.4 % | 2024 |
| 17e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 3.4 % | 2022 |
| 19e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3.5 % | 2012 |
| 20e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 3.6 % | 2016 |
| 21e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 3.8 % | 2019 |
| 22e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 4 % | 2021 |
| 22e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 4 % | 2014 |
| 22e | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 4 % | 2020 |
| 25e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 4.1 % | 2025 |
| 26e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 4.2 % | 2022 |
| 27e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 4.7 % | 2019 |
| 28e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 5.3 % | 2016 |
| 29e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 5.5 % | 2020 |
| 29e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 5.5 % | 2019 |
| 31e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 5.8 % | 2018 |
| 32e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 6 % | 2016 |
| 33e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 6.1 % | 2024 |
| 33e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 6.1 % | 2024 |
| 35e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 6.2 % | 2017 |
| 36e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 6.5 % | 2019 |
| 37e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 6.9 % | 2013 |
| 37e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 6.9 % | 2021 |
| 39e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 7.4 % | 2020 |
| 40e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 7.5 % | 2019 |
| 41e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 8.1 % | 2023 |
| 42e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 8.4 % | 2018 |
| 43e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 8.8 % | 2023 |
| 44e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 9 % | 2023 |
| 45e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 9.1 % | 2012 |
| 46e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 9.2 % | 2023 |
| 47e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 9.4 % | 2022 |
| 47e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 9.4 % | 2022 |
| 49e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 9.8 % | 2016 |
| 50e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 9.9 % | 2023 |
| 51e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 10 % | 1988 |
| 52e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 10.1 % | 2019 |
| 53e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 11.8 % | 2018 |
| 54e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 12.2 % | 2012 |
| 55e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 12.5 % | 2022 |
| 56e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 13.3 % | 2021 |
| 56e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 13.3 % | 2006 |
| 58e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 13.4 % | 2024 |
| 59e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 13.7 % | 2018 |
| 60e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 14.5 % | 2023 |
| 61e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 14.6 % | 2021 |
| 62e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 14.7 % | 2018 |
| 63e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 14.9 % | 2017 |
| 63e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 14.9 % | 2016 |
| 65e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 15 % | 2023 |
| 66e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 15.5 % | 2020 |
| 67e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 15.8 % | 2021 |
| 68e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 16 % | 2016 |
| 69e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 16.1 % | 2022 |
| 70e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 16.3 % | 2017 |
| 71e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 16.7 % | 2010 |
| 72e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 17 % | 2022 |
| 73e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 17.1 % | 2018 |
| 74e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 17.9 % | 2022 |
| 74e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 17.9 % | 2024 |
| 76e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 18.2 % | 2023 |
| 76e | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 18.2 % | 2023 |
| 78e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 18.3 % | 2018 |
| 79e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 18.4 % | 2019 |
| 80e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 19 % | 2017 |
| 81e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 19.7 % | 2021 |
| 82e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 20.7 % | 2022 |
| 83e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 20.9 % | 2023 |
| 84e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 21.3 % | 2015 |
| 85e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 21.6 % | 2016 |
| 86e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 22.2 % | 2018 |
| 87e | 🇮🇳 India | 22.3 % | 2021 |
| 88e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 23.1 % | 2024 |
| 88e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 23.1 % | 2020 |
| 90e | 🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands | 23.3 % | 2020 |
| 91e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 23.4 % | 2015 |
| 92e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 23.9 % | 2024 |
| 93e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 24 % | 2012 |
| 94e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 24.6 % | 2013 |
| 95e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 24.8 % | 2017 |
| 96e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 24.9 % | 2020 |
| 97e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 25.7 % | 2019 |
| 98e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 25.8 % | 2021 |
| 99e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 26.2 % | 2006 |
| 100e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 26.3 % | 2007 |
| 101e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 26.4 % | 2013 |
| 102e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 26.9 % | 2022 |
| 103e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 27.3 % | 2015 |
| 103e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 27.3 % | 2018 |
| 105e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 27.5 % | 2022 |
| 106e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 27.9 % | 2018 |
| 107e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 28 % | 2019 |
| 108e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 28.7 % | 2023 |
| 109e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 29.1 % | 2022 |
| 110e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 29.2 % | 2012 |
| 111e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 29.4 % | 2019 |
| 112e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 29.5 % | 2011 |
| 112e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 29.5 % | 2015 |
| 114e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 29.6 % | 2019 |
| 114e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 29.6 % | 2023 |
| 116e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 29.8 % | 2018 |
| 117e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 29.9 % | 2024 |
| 118e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 30.2 % | 2023 |
| 119e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 30.5 % | 2023 |
| 120e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 31.5 % | 2019 |
| 121e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 32.3 % | 2020 |
| 122e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 33.4 % | 2024 |
| 123e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 33.5 % | 2016 |
| 124e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 33.7 % | 2019 |
| 125e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 34 % | 2019 |
| 125e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 34 % | 2016 |
| 127e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 34.2 % | 2014 |
| 128e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 34.9 % | 2022 |
| 129e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 35.2 % | 2012 |
| 130e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 36 % | 2018 |
| 131e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 36.6 % | 2021 |
| 132e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 38.2 % | 2021 |
| 133e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 38.7 % | 2024 |
| 134e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 38.8 % | 2021 |
| 135e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 40.3 % | 2016 |
| 136e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 40.7 % | 2010 |
| 137e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 45.3 % | 2006 |
| 138e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 46.5 % | 2018 |
| 139e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 47.2 % | 2025 |
| 140e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 48.4 % | 2023 |
| 141e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 48.5 % | 2024 |
| 142e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 60.6 % | 2019 |
| 143e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 61 % | 2019 |
| 144e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 76.3 % | 2012 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Women married before age 18"?
The highest value is in Niger, at 76.3 % (2012).
Which country has the lowest value for "Women married before age 18"?
The lowest value is in Norway, at 0 % (2022).
What is the world median value of "Women married before age 18"?
The world median is 17.1 %, calculated across 144 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
Where does the "Women married before age 18" data come from?
It comes from Banque mondiale – Indicateurs de genre (SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What does this indicator measure?
It is the share of young women in an adult age group who married or entered a union before the age of eighteen, based on household surveys.
Why look at older women?
Surveys ask young adults about their past. This makes it possible to know whether the marriage took place before adulthood, which cannot be seen among adolescents.
Source and update
Source : Banque mondiale – Indicateurs de genre (SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Family & Nationality
- Years of residence required for naturalizationNaturalization allows a foreigner to obtain a country's nationality. Most countries require having lived there for a certain number of years beforehand. Only countries that give a single, simple number of years are included; those whose rule depends on the situation (ranges, conditions) are not.
- Dual nationalityDual nationality means being a citizen of two countries at the same time. Some countries accept it freely, others accept it only in certain cases (agreement between countries, prior authorisation, etc.) and others refuse it.
- Women's right to be head of householdThe law is examined on three points: it does not designate the husband as head of household, it does not give him the family record book by default, and it places no restriction on a woman being head of household. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Women's right to divorceThe law is examined on one point: whether the divorce procedure, the rules of evidence or the protections provided are the same for a woman as for a man. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Legal framework on child marriageThe law is examined on four points: the legal age of marriage is 18 or older for both girls and boys, there is no exception with parental consent, a marriage below the legal age is void or voidable, and adults who allow or perform it are penalized. Data from the 2026 edition of "Women, Business and the Law", which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Nationality acquired by birth on the territoryIn some countries, a child automatically becomes a citizen simply by being born on the territory (known as birthright citizenship, or jus soli). In most others, nationality depends mainly on that of the parents (jus sanguinis) or on additional conditions.
- Wife's legal duty of obedience to her husbandThe law is examined on one point: it contains no rule requiring a married woman to obey her husband, or it provides that spouses have the same rights and duties. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Legal status of polygamyPolygamy is being married to several people at the same time (most often a man with several wives). Depending on the country, the law recognizes it, limits it to one religion or to local customs, or does not recognize it. Countries whose status is not specified in the source are absent.
- Age of civil majorityThe age of civil majority is the age at which the law considers a person an adult: they can then sign contracts, manage their property and make their own decisions. Each country sets this age; countries where it varies by region or by subject are left out.