What changes when child marriage is viewed through both prevalence and population scale?
Child marriage in South Asia looks very different depending on what we measure. Prevalence rates are often used to compare countries, highlighting where the practice is most common. By this measure, Bangladesh (51%), Nepal (35%) and Afghanistan (29%) continue to record high proportions of women married before the age of 18, reflecting persistent structural inequality and vulnerability.
But prevalence alone tells only part of the story. India’s rate (23%) is lower than several neighbouring countries, yet its population size means it accounts for the largest (absolute) number of women and girls who have been married in childhood globally, an estimated 222.4 million. Elsewhere, countries such as Sri Lanka (10%) and the Maldives (2%) show comparatively low prevalence, illustrating the region’s uneven trajectories.
Even these figures remain incomplete. Many marriages are never formally registered, meaning some of the most vulnerable girls remain absent from official statistics.
📌🗺️ South Asia therefore reveals a key point. Child marriage is shaped not only by how common it is, but by how many lives it affects. This map brings prevalence and demographic scale together as part of the Climate Brides project.
Compiled by: Reetika Revathy Subramanian, PhD
Data Source: The Child Marriage Data Portal, UNICEF (2026)
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
DM (28 février 2026). “Mapping child mariage in South Asia” by Climate Brides. SRI LANKA & DIASPORAS. Consulté le 22 avril 2026 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/15s6m
