Middle Africa
Cameroon
Absolute number
Prevalence
Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15
Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18
Prevalence of child marriage
- Cameroon
- Middle Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Cameroon and Middle Africa from 1993 to 2025.
In Cameroon, 47% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 30% in 2018, which is the latest available value.
In Middle Africa, the prevalence was 42% in 2000 and was 33% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Cameroon | Middle Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 47.4% | |
| 1998 | 43.0% | |
| 2000 | 41.8% | |
| 2003 | 40.3% | |
| 2005 | 40.1% | |
| 2008 | 36.1% | |
| 2010 | 39.8% | |
| 2013 | 34.3% | |
| 2015 | 37.7% | |
| 2018 | 29.8% | |
| 2020 | 36.7% | |
| 2025 | 32.5% |
Cameroon
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Cameroon
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Cameroon in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Cameroon. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Cameroon
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Cameroon in 2018.
Region with no data
2018
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Cameroon in 2018
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Cameroon. Data refer to 2018, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Far North (54%), Adamawa (51%), North (50%), and East (41%).
Show data table
| Year | Adamawa | Centre | Douala | East | Far North | Littoral | North | Northwest | South | Southwest | West | Yaounde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 50.8% | 28.9% | 9.0% | 41.5% | 54.2% | 11.5% | 49.8% | 15.4% | 21.8% | 5.5% | 25.9% | 12.7% |
Compare countries
How does Cameroon compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Cameroon
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Cameroon from 1993 to 2018.
In Cameroon, 47% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 30% in 2018, which is the latest available value.
Residence
Child marriage prevalence
Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas
The bubble chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) disaggregated by residence in Cameroon. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Cameroon, 30% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 45% of girls in rural areas, compared with 19% in urban areas.
For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website
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Where does child marriage occur?
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