South America

Colombia

Absolute number

Prevalence

1 million

Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15

5%
4.6 million

Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18

23%

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Colombia
  • South America
Child marriage age

The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Colombia and South America from 1990 to 2015.

In Colombia, 21% of girls in 1990 married before age 18, compared with 23% in 2015, which is the latest available value.

Data for South America are not available.

Show data table
YearColombiaSouth America
199021.1%
199524.0%
200023.3%
200524.5%
201024.1%
201523.4%
Child marriage age

Colombia

Child Marriage
Prevalence

Residence

  • Rural
  • Urban
Show Residence data table
YearRuralUrban
201539.6%18.8%

Wealth

  • Poorest
  • Second
  • Middle
  • Fourth
  • Richest
Show Wealth data table
YearPoorestSecondMiddleFourthRichest
201543.3%32.2%21.5%13.2%3.9%

Education

  • No schooling
  • Primary education
  • Secondary or higher
Show Education data table
YearNo schoolingPrimary educationSecondary or higher
201562.6%61.3%20.4%
Child marriage age

Compare regions of Colombia

Understand differences inside the country

Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Colombia in the last decades.

Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Colombia. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.

Prevalence of child marriage

Compare regions of Colombia

Understand differences
inside the country

Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Colombia in 2015.

Child marriage age

Region with no data

2015

Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Colombia in 2015

0%100%

The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Colombia. Data refer to 2015, the latest year with available data.

The practice is most common in Territorios Nacionales (33%), Atlantica (29%), Pacifica (24%), and Oriental (22%).

Show data table
YearAtlanticaBogotaCentralOrientalPacificaTerritorios Nacionales
201528.6%18.2%21.7%22.1%23.9%32.9%
Child marriage age

Compare countries

How does Colombia compare to other countries?

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Colombia
Child marriage age

The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Colombia from 1990 to 2015.

In Colombia, 21% of girls in 1990 married before age 18, compared with 23% in 2015, which is the latest available value.

Show data table
YearColombia
199021.1%
199524.0%
200023.3%
200524.5%
201024.1%
201523.4%

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 Colombia. Data refer to the latest available year.

In Colombia, 23% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 40% of girls in rural areas, compared with 19% in urban areas.

Show data table
CountryRuralUrbanTotal
Colombia39.6%18.8%23.4%
Child marriage age

For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website

UNICEF Data

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Where does child marriage occur?

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