Southern Africa
Namibia
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
- Namibia
- Southern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Namibia and Southern Africa from 1988 to 2025.
In Namibia, 11% of girls in 1988 married before age 18, compared with 7% in 2013, which is the latest available value.
In Southern Africa, the prevalence was 12% in 2000 and was 4% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Namibia | Southern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 11.3% | |
| 1993 | 9.4% | |
| 1998 | 8.8% | |
| 2000 | 11.6% | |
| 2003 | 8.1% | |
| 2005 | 9.2% | |
| 2008 | 7.8% | |
| 2010 | 6.3% | |
| 2013 | 6.9% | |
| 2015 | 7.3% | |
| 2020 | 5.8% | |
| 2025 | 3.9% |
Namibia
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Namibia
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Namibia in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Namibia. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Namibia
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Namibia in 2013.
Region with no data
2013
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Namibia in 2013
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Namibia. Data refer to 2013, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Kavango (24%), Omaheke (18%), Otjozondjupa (15%), and Kunene (14%).
Show data table
| Year | //Karas | Erongo | Hardap | Kavango | Khomas | Kunene | Ohangwena | Omaheke | Omusati | Oshana | Oshikoto | Otjozondjupa | Zambezi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7.4% | 5.8% | 11.4% | 24.0% | 2.0% | 14.3% | 3.3% | 17.8% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 3.9% | 15.2% | 14.2% |
Compare countries
How does Namibia compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Namibia
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Namibia from 1988 to 2013.
In Namibia, 11% of girls in 1988 married before age 18, compared with 7% in 2013, 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 Namibia. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Namibia, 7% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 11% of girls in rural areas, compared with 4% in urban areas.
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?
Drag to rotate the map
Select Other Country