The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that one in five girls worldwide is still married before the age of 18, despite efforts that have helped prevent 68 million child marriages over the past 25 years.
The agency revealed this in a statement published on its website on Monday to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, observed on October 11, under the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
UNICEF attributed the progress recorded so far to investments in girls’ education, legal reforms and social protection, but warned that millions of girls continued to face early marriage and other violations of their rights.
According to the agency, approximately 650 million women and girls alive today were married during childhood, while more than 12 million girls are married before turning 18 every year.
It noted that sub-Saharan Africa had the highest prevalence of child marriage globally, at 31 per cent.
The agency also disclosed that nearly one in four girls aged 15 to 19 who had been married or were in a relationship had experienced intimate partner violence during their lifetime.
UNICEF warned that crises, conflicts and displacement further exposed girls to child marriage, sexual violence and maternal mortality.
It added that adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 were twice as likely as boys to be outside education, employment or training. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, girls were also nearly 90 per cent more likely to be out of secondary school than those living in stable environments.
The agency stressed that child marriage remained a widespread violation of girls’ rights, depriving them of education, healthcare, personal freedom and opportunities to fulfil their potential.
It further warned that early marriage could have lasting consequences for girls’ physical and mental health, increasing their vulnerability to social isolation, anxiety and emotional distress.
UNICEF called for greater investment in girls’ education, healthcare, protection and social services, while urging families and communities to challenge harmful social norms that encourage child marriage.
The agency said keeping girls in school, strengthening legal protections and supporting girls’ leadership were among the measures that could accelerate progress towards ending the practice.
It urged governments and stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure every girl could grow up safely, make informed choices and determine her own future.
