Child marriage (i.e., marriage of girls below the age of 18 and boys below the age of 21) in India is one of the most serious crimes committed against children. It is prevalent in most of the States/UTs despite a law (Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006) to root it out. Child marriage ends childhood and puts children at high risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse. It also adversely impacts their rights to education, health and protection.
UNICEF categorizes child marriage as a human rights violation due to its adverse impacts on the development of both girls and boys.
Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 states that Child marriage elimination is pivotal in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, aiming for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by 2030.
According to the UN, 1 in 5 young women worldwide (19%) were married in childhood in 2022.
- A total of 1,49,404 crimes against children were recorded in India in 2021, indicating an average of 409 such cases reported each day during the year. This included a total of 1,050 cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, victimising 1,062 children.
- Of all the registered crimes against children across the country in 2021, about 4 percent were from Telangana (5,667). The state stands at the 13th position, in terms of percentage share of the total crimes committed against children during 2021 in the country.
Trends in India (NFHS – 5)
- The age at marriage in India is increasing over time. The median age of first marriage (among women 20–49 years of age) has increased by 2.0 years during the last decade and a half, from a level of 17.2 years in 2005–06 to 19.2 years in 2019–21. For men (age 25-29), this increased from 22.6 to 24.9 during the same period.
- Child marriage reduced from 47.4% in 2005–06 to 26.8% in 2015–16, registering a decline of 21% points during the decade (Fig 1). In the last five years, it declined by 3.5% points to reach 23.3%.
- 43% women aged 20-24 years are married by age 20, and 61% are married by age 21.
- Child marriage, when computed for the younger cohort of women (18–19 years), showed a decline from 37.7% in 2005-06 to 16.3% in 2019-21, indicating a growing trend for decline in the overall prevalence of child marriage in the years to come.
‘The Lancet Global Health’ journal sheds light on the prevailing scenario of child marriage in India
- Girl child marriages declined from 49% in 1993 to 22% in 2021. Boy child marriages reduced from 7% in 2006 to 2% in 2021, indicating an overall national decline.
- However, between 2016 and 2021, the progress plateaued, with certain states experiencing a troubling rise in child marriages.
- Notably, six states witnessed an increase in girl child marriages, including Manipur, Punjab, Tripura, and West Bengal.
- Eight states observed a rise in boy child marriages, encompassing Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab.
Other Facts:
- Child marriage is more prevalent in rural areas (48 per cent) than in urban areas (29 per cent).
- There are also variations across different groups, particularly excluded communities, castes and tribes – although some ethnic groups, such as tribal groups, have lower rates of child marriage compared with the majority population.
- Drop out of school, have a low-paid job and limited decision-making power at home. A girl with 10 years of education has a six times lower chance of being pushed into marriage before she is 18.
- 40% of the world’s 60 million child marriages take place in India according to the National Family Health Survey.
- India has the 14th highest rate of child marriage in the world, according to the International Center for Research on Women.
Differentials by State
- With a vast diversity within India, it is imperative to analyze variations by states to understand and address why these differentials exist.
- Eight states have a higher prevalence of child marriage than the national average.
- Among them, West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura top the list with more than 40% of women aged 20-24 years married below 18.
- The other five states include Jharkhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.