Eastern Africa
Uganda
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
- Uganda
- Eastern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Uganda and Eastern Africa from 1991 to 2025.
In Uganda, 52% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 34% in 2016, which is the latest available value.
In Eastern Africa, the prevalence was 46% in 2000 and was 32% in 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Uganda | Eastern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 51.5% | |
| 1996 | 53.2% | |
| 2000 | 45.9% | |
| 2001 | 50.4% | |
| 2005 | 43.5% | |
| 2006 | 45.6% | |
| 2010 | 44.5% | |
| 2011 | 38.3% | |
| 2015 | 41.8% | |
| 2016 | 34.0% | |
| 2020 | 36.9% | |
| 2025 | 32.2% |
Uganda
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Uganda
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Uganda in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Uganda. See the range of values within the country, and explore the chart for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Uganda
Understand differences
inside the country
Prevalence of child marriage before age 18 years in each region of Uganda in 2016.
Region with no data
2016
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Uganda in 2016
The chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Uganda. Data refer to 2016, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Karamoja (52%), Lango (47%), West Nile (46%), and Bugishu (45%).
Show data table
| Year | Acholi | Ankole | Bugishu | Bukedi | Bunyoro | Busoga | Central 1 | Central 2 | Kampala | Karamoja | Kigezi | Lango | Teso | Tooro | West Nile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 38.3% | 31.4% | 45.0% | 44.5% | 37.7% | 32.4% | 23.1% | 31.2% | 15.7% | 51.5% | 27.0% | 47.3% | 36.3% | 38.6% | 46.1% |
Compare countries
How does Uganda compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Uganda
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Uganda from 1991 to 2016.
In Uganda, 52% of girls in 1991 married before age 18, compared with 34% 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 Uganda. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Uganda, 34% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 40% 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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