Women who were first married by age 15 (% of women ages 20-24) - Country Ranking - Africa
Definition: Women who were first married by age 15 refers to the percentage of women ages 20-24 who were first married by age 15.
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)
See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niger | 28.00 | 2012 |
| 2 | Central African Republic | 25.80 | 2019 |
| 3 | Chad | 24.20 | 2019 |
| 4 | Mauritania | 17.80 | 2015 |
| 5 | Guinea | 17.00 | 2018 |
| 6 | Somalia | 16.80 | 2020 |
| 6 | Mozambique | 16.80 | 2015 |
| 8 | Mali | 15.90 | 2018 |
| 9 | Nigeria | 15.70 | 2018 |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 14.10 | 2016 |
| 11 | Eritrea | 12.86 | 2010 |
| 12 | Madagascar | 12.73 | 2018 |
| 13 | Sudan | 11.88 | 2014 |
| 14 | Cameroon | 10.70 | 2018 |
| 15 | Burkina Faso | 10.20 | 2010 |
| 16 | Comoros | 10.00 | 2012 |
| 17 | Benin | 9.40 | 2018 |
| 18 | Malawi | 9.00 | 2016 |
| 19 | Senegal | 8.80 | 2019 |
| 20 | Sierra Leone | 8.60 | 2019 |
| 20 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.60 | 2011 |
| 22 | Dem. Rep. Congo | 8.44 | 2018 |
| 23 | Guinea-Bissau | 8.10 | 2019 |
| 24 | Angola | 7.90 | 2016 |
| 25 | Uganda | 7.30 | 2016 |
| 26 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.00 | 2016 |
| 27 | Congo | 6.90 | 2015 |
| 28 | Togo | 6.40 | 2017 |
| 29 | Liberia | 5.80 | 2020 |
| 30 | The Gambia | 5.60 | 2020 |
| 30 | Gabon | 5.60 | 2012 |
| 32 | Zimbabwe | 5.42 | 2019 |
| 33 | São Tomé and Principe | 5.40 | 2019 |
| 34 | Tanzania | 5.20 | 2016 |
| 34 | Zambia | 5.20 | 2018 |
| 36 | Ghana | 5.00 | 2018 |
| 37 | Kenya | 4.40 | 2014 |
| 38 | Cabo Verde | 2.80 | 2005 |
| 38 | Burundi | 2.80 | 2017 |
| 40 | Botswana | 2.50 | 1988 |
| 41 | Egypt | 2.00 | 2014 |
| 42 | Namibia | 1.60 | 2013 |
| 43 | Djibouti | 1.30 | 2012 |
| 44 | Lesotho | 1.04 | 2018 |
| 45 | South Africa | 0.90 | 2016 |
| 46 | Eswatini | 0.82 | 2014 |
| 47 | Morocco | 0.50 | 2018 |
| 48 | Rwanda | 0.30 | 2020 |
| 49 | Algeria | 0.00 | 2019 |
| 49 | Tunisia | 0.00 | 2018 |
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Development Relevance: Although the legal age of marriage is defined as 18 years in most countries, the practice of child marriage remains widespread. A women’s access to education and later her employment opportunities as well as the nature and terms of her work are often compromised by this practice. Young married girls whose schooling is cut short often lack the knowledge and skills for formal work and are limited to occupations with lower incomes and inferior working conditions. Sustainable Development Goal 5 commits to eliminate the practice of child marriage.
