Melanesia
Papua New Guinea
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
- Papua New Guinea
- Melanesia
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Papua New Guinea and Melanesia from 1993 to 2025.
In Papua New Guinea, 27% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 27% in 2018, which is the latest available value.
In Melanesia, the prevalence was 26% in 2000 and was 25% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Papua New Guinea | Melanesia |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 27.3% | |
| 1998 | 26.9% | |
| 2000 | 25.9% | |
| 2003 | 30.5% | |
| 2005 | 25.6% | |
| 2008 | 28.8% | |
| 2010 | 28.5% | |
| 2013 | 28.8% | |
| 2015 | 26.9% | |
| 2018 | 27.3% | |
| 2020 | 26.9% | |
| 2025 | 25.5% |
Papua New Guinea
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Papua New Guinea
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Papua New Guinea in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Papua New Guinea. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Papua New Guinea
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Papua New Guinea in 2018.
Region with no data
2018
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Papua New Guinea in 2018
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Papua New Guinea. Data refer to 2018, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Highlands region (34%) and Momase region (30%).
Show data table
| Year | Highlands region | Islands region | Momase region | Southern region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 34.3% | 16.6% | 29.6% | 18.2% |
Compare countries
How does Papua New Guinea compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Papua New Guinea
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Papua New Guinea from 1993 to 2018.
In Papua New Guinea, 27% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 27% in 2018, 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 Papua New Guinea. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Papua New Guinea, 27% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 29% of girls in rural areas, compared with 17% 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?
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