Southern Asia
India
Summary
Explore how common child marriage is throughout the country, how levels have changed over time, and how the situation in this country compares to others.
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
- Southern Asia
- India
Show table of data
| Year | Southern Asia | India |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 53.2% | |
| 1997 | 59.5% | |
| 2001 | 48.8% | |
| 2002 | 56.6% | |
| 2006 | 45.7% | |
| 2007 | 49.4% | |
| 2011 | 38.0% | |
| 2012 | 46.0% | |
| 2016 | 29.5% | |
| 2017 | 33.5% | |
| 2021 | 23.3% | |
| 2022 | 25.5% |
India
Child Marriage
Prevalence
India
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Urban
- Rural
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Show Residence table of data
| Year | Urban | Rural |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14.7% | 27.0% |
Show Wealth table of data
| Year | Poorest | Second | Middle | Fourth | Richest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39.7% | 30.9% | 23.4% | 16.0% | 7.5% |
Show Education table of data
| Year | No schooling | Primary education | Secondary or higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.0% | 43.3% | 18.9% |
Compare countries
How does India compare to other countries?
Compare countries
How does India compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- India
Show table of data
| Year | India |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 53.2% |
| 2001 | 48.8% |
| 2006 | 45.7% |
| 2011 | 38.0% |
| 2016 | 29.5% |
| 2021 | 23.3% |
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
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
Show table of data
| Country | Urban | Rural | Total prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 14.7% | 27.0% | 23.3% |
For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website
UNICEF DataExplore other countries
Where does child marriage occur?
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