One in five girls still married before 18 – UNICEF

One in five girls worldwide is still married before the age of 18, according to UNICEF, even as the agency reports that 68 million child marriages have been averted over the past 25 years.

In a post obtained from UNICEF’s website on Monday, the agency attributed the progress to investments in girls’ education, legal reform and social protection. The figures were released in a message marking the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2026, under the theme “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights!”

“We have the solutions: keeping girls in school; expanding access to health, protection and social services; working with families and communities to challenge harmful norms; investing in girls’ rights and supporting their leadership,” UNICEF said.

“Now we must go further and faster. It is in our power to ensure that every girl, everywhere, can realize her rights and fulfil her potential.

“For when girls are safe, educated and empowered, they don’t just transform their own lives, they help build healthier families, stronger communities and more peaceful, prosperous societies.”

According to UNICEF, “Approximately 650 million women and girls alive today were married in childhood. More than 12 million girls, roughly one every three seconds, are still married before reaching adulthood each year, with the highest prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa at 31 per cent.”

Nearly one in four ever-married or partnered girls aged 15 to 19 have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Crises, conflict and displacement continue to increase the risks of child marriage, sexual violence and maternal mortality.

Girls aged 15 to 19 are twice as likely as boys not to be in education, employment or training. In fragile, conflict and violence-affected contexts, girls are nearly 90 per cent more likely to be out of secondary school than those in stable settings, raising their risk of child marriage.

“We know what works – and investing in girls is one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress,” UNICEF stated.

“Every girl deserves a childhood. Every girl deserves the freedom to learn, to grow, to make her own choices and to define her own future. Yet millions of girls are still denied that freedom.

“Child marriage remains one of the most widespread violations of girls’ rights, denying millions of girls the chance to stay in school, protect their health, live free from violence, and fulfil their potential.

“It can have severe and lasting consequences for girls’ physical and mental health, increasing risks of social isolation, anxiety, and emotional distress at a time when self-harm remains one of the leading causes of death among adolescent girls aged 15-19 globally.”