A landmark UN report says over 100 million boys and men around the world were married as children.
The study was conducted by the UN Children’s Fund in its first in-depth analysis of child grooms. One in five boys, or 23 million, were married before the age of 15.
While the prevalence, causes, and impact of child marriage among girls have been extensively studied, little research exists on child marriage among boys.
However, boys most at risk come from the poorest households, live in rural areas, and have little to no education.
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says, “An estimated 115 million men and boys around the world were married as children in the first in-depth analysis of child grooms. UNICEF said that 23 million boys were married before the age of 15. According to data, the Central Africa Republic had the highest prevalence of child marriage among males followed by Nicaragua and Madagascar. The new estimates bring the total number of child brides and child grooms to 765 million worldwide. Girls remain disproportionately affected with 1 in five young women aged 20-24 married before their 18th birthday compared to 1 in 30 for men.”
