Nepal off track to end child marriage by 2030, UNICEF says
Summary
Nepal has cut child marriage over the past decade, but UNICEF says the country is still off track to end the practice by 2030. Girls from the poorest households remain far more likely to marry early, and climate-related disasters are adding to the risk.
Key Points
- The share of women aged 20–24 who married before 18 fell from 37% in 2014 to 28% in 2024–25, while marriage before 15 dropped from 10% to 5%.
- Girls from the poorest households are 4.4 times more likely to marry before 18 than girls from the richest households.
- UNICEF says education is a major protective factor, but poverty and school dropouts continue to drive child marriage.
- The agency warned that floods and other climate-related disasters can increase the risk of child marriage and urged targeted action before the 2030 deadline.
