Central America
Nicaragua
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
- Nicaragua
- Central America
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Nicaragua and Central America from 1987 to 2025.
In Nicaragua, 50% of girls in 1987 married before age 18, compared with 35% in 2012, which is the latest available value.
In Central America, the prevalence was 23% in 2000 and was 20% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Nicaragua | Central America |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 49.9% | |
| 1992 | 47.9% | |
| 1997 | 48.1% | |
| 2000 | 22.9% | |
| 2002 | 44.0% | |
| 2005 | 23.7% | |
| 2007 | 42.2% | |
| 2010 | 25.3% | |
| 2012 | 35.2% | |
| 2015 | 23.8% | |
| 2020 | 21.9% | |
| 2025 | 19.5% |
Nicaragua
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Nicaragua
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Nicaragua in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Nicaragua. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Nicaragua
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Nicaragua in 2012.
Region with no data
2012
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Nicaragua in 2012
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Nicaragua. Data refer to 2012, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in RAAN (59%), Río San Juan (55%), RAAS (51%), and Jinotega (49%).
Show data table
| Year | Boaco | Carazo | Chinandega | Chontales | Estelí | Granada | Jinotega | León | Madriz | Managua | Masaya | Matagalpa | Nueva Segovia | RAAN | RAAS | Río San Juan | Rivas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 36.7% | 31.2% | 34.2% | 35.4% | 23.6% | 24.5% | 48.9% | 30.8% | 30.4% | 27.3% | 28.8% | 38.3% | 35.9% | 58.8% | 51.1% | 55.3% | 39.3% |
Compare countries
How does Nicaragua compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Nicaragua
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Nicaragua from 1987 to 2012.
In Nicaragua, 50% of girls in 1987 married before age 18, compared with 35% in 2012, 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 Nicaragua. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Nicaragua, 35% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 48% of girls in rural areas, compared with 26% 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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