child marriage

UNICEF uses the term child marriage for both formal marriages and informal unions in which a girl or boy lives with a partner as if married before turning 18. An informal union counts because it raises the same human rights concerns as a ceremony: the couple lives together intending a lasting relationship, and one or both of them is still a child.

The number most often reported is the percentage of women aged 20 to 24 who were first married or in union before 18. That age group is chosen for a practical reason. Asking girls aged 15 to 19 would miss those who will still marry before their 18th birthday, while women aged 20 to 24 have all passed 18 and married recently enough to show the current picture.

The main sources are national censuses and large household surveys, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys. The practice is far more common among girls than boys, and UNICEF links it to interrupted schooling, early pregnancy, social isolation and a higher risk of domestic violence.