Archive · 11 Oct 2026
India Makes Progress, but Child Marriage Remains Widespread
Child marriage is when someone is married before reaching the age set by law.
In India, it has become less common since 1996, but it has not gone away.
About one in five young women in India was married before turning 18.
Five states account for more than half of the country's child marriages.
Experts say poverty and local differences can make the problem harder to solve.
They say investing in girls' education, health, safety and opportunities can help.
India launched a campaign against child marriage in 2024.
One expert believes government programs could help India reach its 2030 goal, while another says more targeted work is needed.
Experts also say laws need to be put into practice in everyday life.
Child marriage prevalence in India fell from over 50% in 1996 to a little over 20% now.
About one in five Indian young women was married before turning 18, and India accounts for one in three child brides worldwide.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh account for more than half of child marriages in India.
Experts say poverty and differences between states and rural and urban areas mean national averages can conceal where risks remain greatest.
Advocates call for sustained, targeted action; one expert says the 2030 goal is attainable, while another says significant work remains.
- Who
- Girls and young women in India, with comments from UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey and advocates Puja Marwaha and Ravi Kant.
- What
- Experts report that child marriage has declined in India but remains widespread, and call for sustained efforts to end it.
- When
- The report was issued on October 11, for the International Day of the Girl Child; it discusses the 2030 target.
- Where
- India, with more than half of reported child marriages concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
- Why
- Experts cite poverty, social acceptance and uneven conditions across regions as barriers, and call for investment in girls' rights and targeted action.
Progress and possibility
Continuing risks and barriers
Prospects for the 2030 target
Progress and possibility
Ravi Kant says reaching the target is a strong possibility with government schemes and work with local councils and government bodies.
Continuing risks and barriers
Puja Marwaha says India remains some distance from eliminating child marriage and needs sustained action tailored to particular places and communities.
Meaning of national progress
Progress and possibility
UNICEF and advocates point to the decline in prevalence and progress through efforts in education, health, nutrition and child protection.
Continuing risks and barriers
Marwaha warns that the national average masks differences between states and rural and urban areas, while Kant says the practice remains prevalent among poorer groups.
- Prevalence trend
- Over 50% in 1996 to a little over 20% now, according to the report.
- Young women affected
- About one in five Indian young women was married before turning 18.
- India's global share
- India accounts for one in three child brides worldwide, according to the report.
- States accounting for over half
- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
- Places cited as doing well
- Kerala and Lakshadweep.
- Legal definition cited
- A union involving a female under 18 and a male under 21, under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
- Government campaign
- The Child Marriage Free India campaign was launched in 2024.
- Global target
- The report discusses eliminating child, early and forced marriage by 2030.
