As of 2020, around 10.5 percent of young women in Sub-Saharan Africa were married before the age of 15. Child marriage was a common practice in the region. In the Central African Republic, one out of four young women were married or in a union before turning 15 years. Chad registered a similar rate - 24 percent. On the other hand, South Africa and Lesotho were the countries with the lowest share of girls marrying before 15, at around one percent.
Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country
Only countries with data from 2016 onwards were displayed. Latest available data in each respective country:
Angola - 2016
Benin - 2018
Burundi - 2017
Cameroon - 2018
Central African Republic - 2019
Chad - 2019
Côte d'Ivoire - 2016
Democratic Republic of the Congo - 2018
Ethiopia - 2016
Gambia - 2018
Ghana - 2018
Guinea - 2018
Guinea-Bissau - 2019
Lesotho - 2018
Mali - 2018
Nigeria - 2018
Sao Tome and Principe - 2019
Senegal - 2019
Sierra Leone - 2019
Somalia - 2020
South Africa - 2016
Togo - 2017
Uganda - 2016
United Republic of Tanzania - 2016
Zambia - 2018
Zimbabwe - 2019
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UNICEF. (August 1, 2021). Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/
UNICEF. "Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country." Chart. August 1, 2021. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/
UNICEF. (2021). Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/
UNICEF. "Percentage of Women Married or in Union before Age 15 in Sub-saharan Africa as of 2020, by Country." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Aug 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/
UNICEF, Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Percentage of women married or in union before age 15 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020, by country [Graph], UNICEF, August 1, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269954/share-of-women-married-before-age-15-in-sub-saharan-africa-by-country/
