Eastern Africa
Ethiopia
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
- Ethiopia
- Eastern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Ethiopia and Eastern Africa from 1991 to 2024.
In Ethiopia, 69% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 40% in 2016, which is the latest available value.
In Eastern Africa, the prevalence was 46% in 1999 and was 32% in 2024.
Show data table
| Year | Ethiopia | Eastern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 68.6% | |
| 1996 | 62.7% | |
| 1999 | 46.2% | |
| 2001 | 61.4% | |
| 2004 | 43.5% | |
| 2006 | 58.9% | |
| 2009 | 44.6% | |
| 2011 | 49.3% | |
| 2014 | 42.1% | |
| 2016 | 40.3% | |
| 2019 | 37.4% | |
| 2024 | 32.4% |
Ethiopia
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Ethiopia
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Ethiopia in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Ethiopia. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Ethiopia
Understand differences
inside the country
Region with no data
2016
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Ethiopia in 2016
Region with no data
2016
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Ethiopia in 2016
The map shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Ethiopia. Data refer to 2016, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Afar (67%), Benishangul (50%), Somali (50%), and Oromia (48%).
Show data table
| Year | Addis | Afar | Amhara | Benishangul | Dire | Gambela | Harari | Oromia | Snnp | Somali | Tigray |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8% | 67.4% | 43.0% | 50.3% | 31.6% | 47.3% | 41.0% | 47.7% | 30.9% | 49.6% | 42.9% |
Compare countries
How does Ethiopia compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Ethiopia
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Ethiopia from 1991 to 2016.
In Ethiopia, 69% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 40% in 2016, 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 Ethiopia. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Ethiopia, 40% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 48% of girls in rural areas, compared with 16% 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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