Southern Africa
South Africa
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
- South Africa
- Southern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in South Africa and Southern Africa from 1991 to 2024.
In South Africa, 11% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 4% in 2016, which is the latest available value.
In Southern Africa, the prevalence was 12% in 1999 and was 4% in 2024.
Show data table
| Year | South Africa | Southern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.2% | |
| 1996 | 8.8% | |
| 1999 | 11.6% | |
| 2001 | 5.9% | |
| 2004 | 9.2% | |
| 2006 | 7.0% | |
| 2009 | 6.3% | |
| 2011 | 5.5% | |
| 2014 | 7.3% | |
| 2016 | 3.6% | |
| 2019 | 5.8% | |
| 2024 | 3.9% |
South Africa
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of South Africa
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of South Africa in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of South Africa. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of South Africa
Understand differences
inside the country
Region with no data
2016
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of South Africa in 2016
Region with no data
2016
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of South Africa in 2016
The map shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across South Africa. Data refer to 2016, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in North (11%), Mpumalanga (5%), Western (5%), and Limpopo (4%).
Show data table
| Year | Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | Kwa-Zulu Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | North West | Northern Cape | Western Cape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4% | 0.9% | 4.1% | 0.4% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 11.0% | 2.9% | 4.6% |
Compare countries
How does South Africa compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- South Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in South Africa from 1991 to 2016.
In South Africa, 11% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 4% in 2016, 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 South Africa. Data refer to the latest available year.
In South Africa, 4% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 4% of girls in rural areas, compared with 3% 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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