Every year, 12 million girls are married before they turn 18. That's 28 girls every minute - losing their childhood, their education, and often their health to a practice that violates their fundamental rights.
Child marriage happens when one or both people in a formal or informal union are under 18 years old. It's a form of gender-based violence that affects millions of girls worldwide, with devastating consequences for their physical and mental health, education, and economic futures.
But there's hope. Since 1990, child marriage rates have fallen by nearly a third. Save the Children and our partners have helped prevent over 68 million child marriages since 2010. Change is possible - and it's happening.
The scale of the problem
Updated December 2025
Today, 650 million women and girls alive were married before their 18th birthday. While boys can be affected, child marriage disproportionately impacts girls - particularly those from the poorest families, living in rural areas, or affected by conflict and displacement.
Child marriage happens in every region of the world, but rates are highest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In some countries, more than half of girls are married before they turn 18.
The practice cuts across religions, cultures and communities. What drives it isn't faith or tradition alone, but a complex mix of poverty, inequality, insecurity and discrimination against girls.
What causes child marriage?
Poverty and economic pressure
Families facing poverty often see marriage as a way to reduce household expenses or secure their daughter's financial future. In some contexts, bride price or dowry payments provide immediate income for struggling families.
Parents may genuinely believe they're acting in their daughter's best interests - that marriage will provide economic security they cannot offer themselves. But poverty doesn't have to mean child marriage. When families have access to education, economic opportunities and social support, they're far less likely to marry daughters young.
Conflict and displacement
Girls living in conflict-affected areas face a 20% higher risk of child marriage compared to those in peaceful regions, according to Save the Children research from 2022.
When conflict displaces families, destroys livelihoods and breaks down social protection systems, parents may turn to early marriage as a perceived safety measure. In camps and informal settlements, girls face heightened risks of violence and exploitation. Families may believe marriage offers protection - though it often exposes girls to further harm.
Climate change and environmental shocks
Climate change is making child marriage worse. Research from Save the Children shows that one in three girls at risk of child marriage also faces extreme climate threats like droughts, floods and heatwaves.
When crops fail, livestock die, or disasters destroy homes, families lose their livelihoods. The economic desperation that follows can push parents toward marrying daughters early. Climate shocks also force families to migrate, disrupting girls' education and increasing vulnerability.
Gender inequality and discrimination
In many communities, girls are valued less than boys. Families invest more in sons' education and futures, while daughters are seen primarily as future wives and mothers.
This discrimination means girls have fewer opportunities to demonstrate their potential beyond marriage. When education, employment and leadership roles are closed to girls, marriage becomes the only path families see for their daughters.
Lack of education access
Girls who stay in school are far less likely to marry young. Education gives girls knowledge, confidence and alternatives to early marriage. It also delays marriage simply by keeping girls occupied and visible in their communities as students, not as potential brides.
But globally, millions of girls are out of school. Poverty, distance to schools, safety concerns, discriminatory attitudes, and conflict all create barriers. When girls aren't in school, they're more vulnerable to child marriage.
Cultural and social norms
In some communities, marrying daughters young is seen as protecting their honour, securing their future, or fulfilling social expectations. Families may face intense pressure to conform to traditions around marriage timing.
These norms are often reinforced by everyone around them - neighbours, relatives, religious leaders. Going against them can mean social isolation or conflict. But norms can and do change. Community-led efforts that engage religious leaders, men and boys, and whole communities are shifting attitudes in many places.
Weak laws and enforcement
Many countries have laws setting 18 as the minimum marriage age. But these laws often include exceptions - for parental consent, judicial approval, or religious authorities. These loopholes are exploited to marry girls young.
Even where strong laws exist, enforcement is often weak. Births and marriages may not be officially registered, making it hard to monitor children's ages. Consequences for those who facilitate child marriage are rarely applied. And in some places, there's simply no political will to prioritise girls' rights over other interests.
The devastating impacts
Health risks
Girls married young face serious, sometimes life-threatening health consequences. Their bodies aren't physically ready for pregnancy and childbirth. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19 globally.
Early pregnancy increases risks of maternal mortality, obstetric fistula, sexually transmitted infections, and complications for babies including preterm birth and low birthweight. Child brides often have no power to negotiate contraception use, spacing of pregnancies, or access to healthcare.
Education ends
Marriage almost always means the end of a girl's education. Once married, girls are expected to take on household responsibilities, care for their husband and in-laws, and often become mothers quickly. There's no time for school.
Without education, girls have limited literacy and numeracy skills, less knowledge about their rights, and fewer tools to advocate for themselves and their children. The loss of education reverberates through their entire lives.
Economic consequences
Girls married young have far fewer economic opportunities. Without education or time to develop skills, they're trapped in poverty. They're less able to earn income, more dependent on husbands, and have little economic power within their marriages.
This perpetuates cycles of poverty. Mothers who were child brides are more likely to marry their own daughters young, repeating the pattern across generations.
Violence and exploitation
Child marriage is inherently a form of violence - girls are being forced into adult responsibilities and sexual relationships before they're ready. Many child brides experience domestic violence, sexual abuse and exploitation within their marriages.
The power imbalance between a child bride and typically older husband leaves girls with little ability to refuse sex, negotiate safer sex practices, or leave abusive situations. They're isolated from friends and family, controlled by husbands and in-laws, with limited freedom or autonomy over their own lives.
Psychological harm
The trauma of being forced into marriage causes profound psychological damage. Girls experience loss of childhood, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. Many describe feeling like prisoners, with no control over their own lives.
Child brides are cut off from peer networks and support systems. They're denied the chance to play, learn and develop like other children. The psychological impact lasts long into adulthood.
Intergenerational effects
When girls marry young, the harm extends beyond them. Children born to adolescent mothers face higher rates of malnutrition, illness and developmental delays. They're more likely to die before age five.
Mothers who were married young have less power to advocate for their children's rights, including preventing their own daughters from experiencing child marriage. Breaking this cycle requires supporting both current and future generations.
What works to prevent child marriage
Keeping girls in school
Education is one of the most powerful tools for preventing child marriage. When girls stay in school, they're far less likely to marry young. Education delays marriage, builds girls' confidence and skills, and opens up alternatives.
Effective approaches include making schools accessible and safe, providing scholarships to cover costs, tackling gender discrimination in education, and creating flexible learning options for girls who've dropped out. Secondary school is particularly crucial - girls who complete secondary education are up to six times less likely to marry young.
Economic support for families
When families have economic security, they're less likely to marry daughters for financial reasons. Cash transfer programmes, livelihood support, and social protection systems can reduce the economic pressures driving child marriage.
Some programmes specifically incentivise keeping girls unmarried and in school through conditional cash transfers. These have shown promising results, though they work best as part of broader efforts rather than standalone solutions.
Empowering girls
Programmes that build girls' confidence, knowledge and skills help them advocate for themselves. When girls understand their rights, know how to access support, and have spaces to connect with peers, they're better able to resist pressure to marry.
Life skills programmes, girls' clubs, mentoring, and leadership training all contribute. Girls like Selma* in Ethiopia and Mim* in Bangladesh have become powerful advocates against child marriage in their own communities after learning about their rights through our programmes.
Engaging communities
Change happens fastest when whole communities - including religious leaders, men and boys, mothers and fathers - work together. Community dialogue programmes help people examine the harms of child marriage and decide collectively to abandon the practice.
In Ethiopia's Somali region, our programme combines child-led advocacy groups with community conversation groups and women's associations. Since the programme launched in 2020, female genital mutilation rates have plummeted and child marriage has declined sharply, with more girls staying in school.
Working with religious and traditional leaders
Religious and traditional leaders shape community attitudes and can either reinforce or challenge child marriage. When respected leaders speak out against the practice and clarify that faith traditions don't require girls to marry young, communities listen.
We support leaders to understand the harms of child marriage and become advocates for girls' rights. In many contexts, leaders have been powerful allies in shifting norms and supporting families to delay marriage.
Strengthening laws and systems
Strong legal frameworks matter. Laws should set 18 as the minimum marriage age with no exceptions, require birth and marriage registration, and enforce consequences for those who facilitate child marriage.
But laws alone aren't enough. Child protection systems need resources and capacity to identify at-risk girls, support families, and provide alternatives. Justice systems must make it possible for girls to access their rights.
In 2025, Bolivia banned child marriage entirely following a campaign led by children and civil society organisations - removing exceptions that previously allowed marriage from age 16. It's proof that advocacy and political will can create change.
Addressing root causes
Ultimately, ending child marriage means tackling poverty, inequality, discrimination against girls, and lack of opportunities. It means building peace in conflict-affected areas and supporting communities to adapt to climate change.
These are big challenges. But every effort that reduces poverty, keeps girls in school, empowers women, or strengthens child protection systems helps prevent child marriage.
Save the Children's Work to End Child Marriage
Save the Children works with communities, local partners and governments across the world to prevent child marriage and support girls to stay safe, healthy and in school.
Since 2010, we've helped prevent over 68 million child marriages. We've contributed to the nearly one-third reduction in child marriage rates globally since 1990.
But there's still so much work to do.
Meet the people making change happen
Supporting girls to become advocates
Through programmes in countries including Ethiopia, Bangladesh and beyond, we help girls learn about their rights and become advocates for change in their own communities.
Selma*, 14, in Ethiopia's Somali region joined one of our Child Clubs where she learned about female genital mutilation and child marriage. Now she uses theatre and street drama to educate her community about these harmful practices. "Most of the audience will believe that the same thing could happen to their own daughters," Selma explains. "It might change their mindset."
Selma*, 14, at her home in Somali Region, Ethiopia.
When friends step in to protect friends
Sometimes the most powerful advocates are peers. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, 16-year-old Mim* leads sessions at our Childspace, teaching other young people about child protection and rights. When she learned her 14-year-old friend Jannat* was planning to marry 17-year-old Tujon*, Mim knew she had to act.
"One day Mim came to my house and said, 'I heard you're in love and want to marry him? Don't marry now,'" Jannat recalls. "She explained early marriage can cause many health problems."
Mim worked with our community volunteers, who spoke with both families. Together, they helped everyone understand the risks. The wedding was called off.
"I used to think married girls are happy and get good food," says Jannat. "After talking with Mim, my thinking changed. My dream was to be a doctor and it still is. Since I didn't marry, my dreams are still alive. I was going to marry early, but now I'll go back to school."
For Mim, stopping her friend's marriage was her proudest achievement. "I could save two people from harm," she says.
Mim* speaks to Jannat* outside Save the Children's Childspace in Dhaka, Bangladesh as captured by Shefali Rafiq
Using music and dance to spark change
In Malawi's Ntcheu District, children refused to accept that child marriage, school dropouts and early pregnancies were just "how things are." Through SHIFT—our campaign accelerator model for young activists - five groups of children and young people created a different kind of advocacy.
They wrote and performed a "SHIFT song," made a music video, and used dance to spread messages about education, protection and children's rights. The music got the community's attention in ways that lectures and leaflets never had.
The results were remarkable. Of 155 children who'd dropped out of school, 64 returned to their education. Five child marriages in one village were nullified. Communities made long-term commitments to protect children from abuse, exploitation, neglect and harm.
When children lead change using their own creativity and voice, communities listen.
Working with communities
We support community-led initiatives that bring together religious leaders, parents, youth groups and women's associations to challenge harmful norms and support girls' rights.
Our Gender Equality Programme in Ethiopia's Somali and Afar regions combines multiple approaches: Child Clubs where young people learn and advocate; community conversation groups where adults discuss and decide to abandon harmful practices; women's self-help groups that provide economic alternatives and monitor for planned child marriages; and radio programmes reaching over one million people.
The results have been dramatic. Since 2020, we've helped prevent 211 child marriages and 416 cases of female genital mutilation in the programme areas. Child marriage has declined significantly, with more girls staying in school and enrolling in universities. "Parents now avoid subjecting their children to FGM," explains Programme Manager Mohamed Sharif. "People understand the consequences of child marriage, and communities have begun to enforce a minimum marriage age of 18."
Providing alternatives
We give families economic support to reduce the pressures that drive child marriage. We work to keep girls in school by covering costs, making schools safe and accessible, and supporting girls who've dropped out to return to education.
In Bangladesh, our SCOPE programme provides Childspaces where girls can learn, play and access support. We deliver life skills training, create child-led advocacy groups, and work with parents on positive parenting and child protection.
Influencing laws and policies
We advocate for stronger laws and better enforcement at national and international levels. We support governments to close loopholes, strengthen child protection systems, and prioritise girls' rights.
We work in coalitions with other organisations, amplify girls' voices in policy spaces, and provide evidence about what works to prevent child marriage. When children and civil society came together in Bolivia to campaign for a total ban on child marriage, we were proud to support their efforts—and celebrate when they succeeded.
Responding to emergencies
In conflict and disaster settings, we include specific child marriage prevention in our humanitarian response. This includes child-friendly spaces, case management for at-risk girls, awareness-raising with families and communities, and support to keep girls in school even in emergencies.
We know that crises increase risks for girls. Our emergency programmes are designed to keep them safe and prevent the use of child marriage as a harmful coping mechanism.
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Marriage
What is child marriage?
Child marriage is any formal or informal union where one or both people are under 18 years old. The vast majority of child marriages involve girls marrying older men or boys. It's recognised internationally as a violation of children's rights and a form of gender-based violence.
How common is child marriage?
Approximately 12 million girls are married each year before they turn 18—that's 28 girls every minute. Today, 650 million women and girls alive were married in childhood. While rates have declined by nearly a third since 1990, child marriage remains widespread, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and conflict-affected regions.
Why does child marriage happen?
Child marriage is driven by multiple, interconnected factors including poverty, conflict and displacement, climate shocks, gender inequality, lack of education access, cultural and social norms, and weak legal frameworks. No single cause explains child marriage—it happens where these factors combine to make girls vulnerable and families feel pressured or incentivised to marry daughters young.
What are the consequences of child marriage?
Girls married young face serious health risks including pregnancy complications that can be fatal, are forced to end their education, have limited economic opportunities throughout their lives, experience higher rates of domestic violence and exploitation, and suffer psychological trauma. The effects extend to their children, who face higher rates of malnutrition and mortality, perpetuating cycles of poverty and disadvantage.
At what age can you legally marry in the UK?
In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, you must be 18 or over to get married. Previously, 16 and 17-year-olds could marry with parental consent, but this changed in 2023 in England and Wales (and earlier in Scotland) to provide better protection for young people.
How can child marriage be prevented?
Effective prevention combines multiple approaches: keeping girls in school (particularly secondary education), providing economic support to vulnerable families, empowering girls with knowledge about their rights, engaging whole communities including religious and traditional leaders, strengthening laws and enforcement, and addressing root causes like poverty, conflict and discrimination against girls. Community-led change efforts that involve multiple stakeholders working together show the most promising results.
Does child marriage happen in the UK?
While UK law now prohibits marriage under 18, some children from UK communities are taken abroad for marriage or enter informal religious marriages that aren't legally recognised. Forced marriage—including of children—is illegal in the UK. The Forced Marriage Unit provides support and can intervene to protect children at risk.
What religions practice child marriage?
Child marriage happens across all major religions and is not required by any of them. While cultural practices are sometimes justified using religious reasoning, religious scholars and leaders from all faiths have spoken out against child marriage, clarifying that their traditions emphasise consent, maturity and readiness for marriage rather than requiring girls to marry young.
How does climate change affect child marriage?
Climate change increases child marriage risk through multiple pathways. Droughts, floods and extreme weather destroy livelihoods, pushing families into economic desperation. Climate disasters force families to migrate, disrupting girls' education and making them more vulnerable. Research from Save the Children shows one in three girls at risk of child marriage also faces extreme climate threats—a double burden that demands urgent action.
What is Save the Children doing about child marriage?
Save the Children works globally to prevent child marriage through: supporting girls' education and empowerment, working with communities to challenge harmful norms, providing economic support to vulnerable families, strengthening child protection systems, advocating for stronger laws and policies, and including child marriage prevention in emergency response.
Since 2010, we've helped prevent over 68 million child marriages through our work with partners and communities worldwide.
*Names changed to protect identities
