Eastern Africa
Zambia
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
- Zambia
- Eastern Africa
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Zambia and Eastern Africa from 1993 to 2024.
In Zambia, 47% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 29% in 2018, which is the latest available value.
In Eastern Africa, the prevalence was 46% in 1999 and was 32% in 2024.
Show data table
| Year | Zambia | Eastern Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 46.9% | |
| 1998 | 42.7% | |
| 1999 | 46.2% | |
| 2003 | 42.8% | |
| 2004 | 43.5% | |
| 2008 | 38.2% | |
| 2009 | 44.6% | |
| 2013 | 32.4% | |
| 2014 | 42.1% | |
| 2018 | 29.0% | |
| 2019 | 37.4% | |
| 2024 | 32.4% |
Zambia
Child Marriage
Prevalence
Residence
- Rural
- Urban
Wealth
- Poorest
- Second
- Middle
- Fourth
- Richest
Education
- No schooling
- Primary education
- Secondary or higher
Compare regions of Zambia
Understand differences inside the country
Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Zambia in the last decades.
Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Zambia. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.
Prevalence of child marriage
Compare regions of Zambia
Understand differences
inside the country
Region with no data
2018
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Zambia in 2018
Region with no data
2018
Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Zambia in 2018
The map shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) across Zambia. Data refer to 2018, the latest year with available data.
The practice is most common in Eastern (45%), Southern (45%), Muchiga (38%), and Northern (38%).
Show data table
| Year | Central | Copperbelt | Eastern | Luapula | Lusaka | Muchiga | North-Western | Northern | Southern | Western |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.9% | 14.4% | 45.4% | 29.9% | 20.6% | 38.4% | 17.3% | 38.3% | 44.8% | 22.6% |
Compare countries
How does Zambia compare to other countries?
Prevalence of child marriage
- Zambia
The line chart shows the prevalence of child marriage (before age 18) in Zambia from 1993 to 2018.
In Zambia, 47% of girls in 1993 married before age 18, compared with 29% 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 Zambia. Data refer to the latest available year.
In Zambia, 29% of girls married before age 18. The prevalence is 39% of girls in rural areas, compared with 19% 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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