Eastern Africa
Madagascar
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
- Madagascar
- Eastern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Madagascar and Eastern Africa from 1996 to 2025.
In Madagascar, 35% of girls in 1996 married before age 18, compared with 39% in 2021, which is the latest available value.
In Eastern Africa, the prevalence was 46% in 2000 and was 32% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Madagascar | Eastern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 34.7% | |
| 2000 | 45.9% | |
| 2001 | 35.7% | |
| 2005 | 43.5% | |
| 2006 | 42.7% | |
| 2010 | 44.5% | |
| 2011 | 39.8% | |
| 2015 | 41.8% | |
| 2016 | 38.9% | |
| 2020 | 36.9% | |
| 2021 | 38.8% | |
| 2025 | 32.2% |
Madagascar
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Madagascar
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Madagascar in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Madagascar. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Madagascar
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Madagascar in 2021.
Region with no data
2021
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Madagascar in 2021
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Madagascar. Data refer to 2021, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Sofia (65%), Betsiboka (60%), Melaky (57%), and Anosy (56%).
Show data table
| Year | Alaotra Mangoro | Amoron'i Mania | Analamanga excluding capital | Analanjirofo | Androy | Anosy | Antananarivo capital | Atsimo Andrefana | Atsimo Atsinanana | Atsinanana | Betsiboka | Boeny | Bongolava | Diana | Haute Matsiatra | Ihorombe | Itasy | Melaky | Menabe | Sava | Sofia | Vakinankaratra | Vatovavy Fitovinany |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49.8% | 33.9% | 21.5% | 36.6% | 48.9% | 55.8% | 17.9% | 49.6% | 54.5% | 30.7% | 60.1% | 40.9% | 46.0% | 34.1% | 24.2% | 52.5% | 31.0% | 56.5% | 55.0% | 45.8% | 65.0% | 37.0% | 26.9% |
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How does Madagascar compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Madagascar
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Madagascar from 1996 to 2021.
In Madagascar, 35% of girls in 1996 married before age 18, compared with 39% in 2021, 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 Madagascar. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Madagascar, 39% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 44% of girls in rural areas, compared with 21% 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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