WORLD Policy Analysis Center

When all exceptions are taken into account, what is the minimum age of marriage for girls?

This map tells us the age at which girls can legally be married when all exceptions that lower the minimum age are considered.

This variable includes exceptions to the minimum age that permit earlier marriage with parental consent, under religious or customary law, with court or other government approval, and/or when a girl is pregnant or has given birth.

In 2 countries, girls are allowed to be married once they reach puberty under certain conditions such as with court approval or in the case of pregnancy. Because there is not an explicit minimum age of marriage, these countries are included in the no minimum age category.

Countries

Albania - 13 years old or younger

Algeria - 13 years old or younger

Argentina - 13 years old or younger

Bahamas - 13 years old or younger

Bahrain - 13 years old or younger

Bangladesh - 13 years old or younger

Belgium - 13 years old or younger

Burundi - 13 years old or younger

Colombia - 13 years old or younger

Comoros - 13 years old or younger

Republic of the Congo - 13 years old or younger

Djibouti - 13 years old or younger

France - 13 years old or younger

Gabon - 13 years old or younger

Greece - 13 years old or younger

Greenland - 13 years old or younger

Guinea - 13 years old or younger

Guyana - 13 years old or younger

Haiti - 13 years old or younger

Iceland - 13 years old or younger

Indonesia - 13 years old or younger

Iran - 13 years old or younger

Libya - 13 years old or younger

Liechtenstein - 13 years old or younger

Lithuania - 13 years old or younger

Luxembourg - 13 years old or younger

Madagascar - 13 years old or younger

Malaysia - 13 years old or younger

Mauritania - 13 years old or younger

Micronesia, Federated States of - 13 years old or younger

Morocco - 13 years old or younger

Oman - 13 years old or younger

Qatar - 13 years old or younger

Saudi Arabia - 13 years old or younger

Senegal - 13 years old or younger

Sierra Leone - 13 years old or younger

Singapore - 13 years old or younger

Somalia - 13 years old or younger

South Africa - 13 years old or younger

Sri Lanka - 13 years old or younger

Sudan - 13 years old or younger

Suriname - 13 years old or younger

Thailand - 13 years old or younger

Tunisia - 13 years old or younger

Uganda - 13 years old or younger

United Arab Emirates - 13 years old or younger

United States of America - 13 years old or younger

Yemen - 13 years old or younger

Angola - 14 to 15 years old

Belarus - 14 to 15 years old

Burkina Faso - 14 to 15 years old

Kuwait - 14 to 15 years old

Laos - 14 to 15 years old

Mali - 14 to 15 years old

Slovenia - 14 to 15 years old

St. Kitts and Nevis - 14 to 15 years old

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - 14 to 15 years old

Tonga - 14 to 15 years old

Armenia - 16 to 17 years old

Australia - 16 to 17 years old

Austria - 16 to 17 years old

Azerbaijan - 16 to 17 years old

Barbados - 16 to 17 years old

Belize - 16 to 17 years old

Bolivia - 16 to 17 years old

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 16 to 17 years old

Brazil - 16 to 17 years old

Bulgaria - 16 to 17 years old

Cambodia - 16 to 17 years old

Canada - 16 to 17 years old

Cabo Verde - 16 to 17 years old

Croatia - 16 to 17 years old

Czech Republic - 16 to 17 years old

Dominica - 16 to 17 years old

Grenada - 16 to 17 years old

Hungary - 16 to 17 years old

Israel - 16 to 17 years old

Italy - 16 to 17 years old

Jamaica - 16 to 17 years old

Jordan - 16 to 17 years old

Kazakhstan - 16 to 17 years old

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - 16 to 17 years old

Kyrgyzstan - 16 to 17 years old

Latvia - 16 to 17 years old

North Macedonia - 16 to 17 years old

Malta - 16 to 17 years old

Moldova - 16 to 17 years old

Monaco - 16 to 17 years old

Montenegro - 16 to 17 years old

New Zealand - 16 to 17 years old

Nicaragua - 16 to 17 years old

Pakistan - 16 to 17 years old

Paraguay - 16 to 17 years old

Peru - 16 to 17 years old

Poland - 16 to 17 years old

Portugal - 16 to 17 years old

Romania - 16 to 17 years old

Russian Federation - 16 to 17 years old

Samoa - 16 to 17 years old

San Marino - 16 to 17 years old

Serbia - 16 to 17 years old

Slovakia - 16 to 17 years old

St. Lucia - 16 to 17 years old

Tajikistan - 16 to 17 years old

Timor-Leste - 16 to 17 years old

Togo - 16 to 17 years old

Türkiye - 16 to 17 years old

Turkmenistan - 16 to 17 years old

Ukraine - 16 to 17 years old

United Kingdom - 16 to 17 years old

Uruguay - 16 to 17 years old

Uzbekistan - 16 to 17 years old

Vanuatu - 16 to 17 years old

Venezuela - 16 to 17 years old

Andorra - 18 years old or older

Antigua and Barbuda - 18 years old or older

Benin - 18 years old or older

Bhutan - 18 years old or older

Central African Republic - 18 years old or older

Chad - 18 years old or older

Chile - 18 years old or older

China - 18 years old or older

Democratic Republic of the Congo - 18 years old or older

Costa Rica - 18 years old or older

Cote d'Ivoire - 18 years old or older

Cuba - 18 years old or older

Cyprus - 18 years old or older

Denmark - 18 years old or older

Dominican Republic - 18 years old or older

Ecuador - 18 years old or older

Egypt - 18 years old or older

El Salvador - 18 years old or older

Estonia - 18 years old or older

Fiji - 18 years old or older

Finland - 18 years old or older

The Gambia - 18 years old or older

Georgia - 18 years old or older

Germany - 18 years old or older

Ghana - 18 years old or older

Guatemala - 18 years old or older

Honduras - 18 years old or older

India - 18 years old or older

Ireland - 18 years old or older

Japan - 18 years old or older

Kenya - 18 years old or older

Kiribati - 18 years old or older

Republic of Korea - 18 years old or older

Liberia - 18 years old or older

Malawi - 18 years old or older

Maldives - 18 years old or older

Mauritius - 18 years old or older

Mexico - 18 years old or older

Mongolia - 18 years old or older

Mozambique - 18 years old or older

Nauru - 18 years old or older

Nepal - 18 years old or older

The Netherlands - 18 years old or older

Nigeria - 18 years old or older

Norway - 18 years old or older

Panama - 18 years old or older

The Philippines - 18 years old or older

Rwanda - 18 years old or older

Sao Tome and Principe - 18 years old or older

Seychelles - 18 years old or older

South Sudan - 18 years old or older

Spain - 18 years old or older

Sweden - 18 years old or older

Switzerland - 18 years old or older

Trinidad and Tobago - 18 years old or older

Tuvalu - 18 years old or older

Vietnam - 18 years old or older

Zambia - 18 years old or older

Zimbabwe - 18 years old or older

Botswana - Set by religious or customary law

Brunei - Set by religious or customary law

Cameroon - Set by religious or customary law

Equatorial Guinea - Set by religious or customary law

Eritrea - Set by religious or customary law

Lebanon - Set by religious or customary law

Lesotho - Set by religious or customary law

Marshall Islands - Set by religious or customary law

Namibia - Set by religious or customary law

Niger - Set by religious or customary law

Palau - Set by religious or customary law

Papua New Guinea - Set by religious or customary law

Solomon Islands - Set by religious or customary law

Eswatini - Set by religious or customary law

Syria - Set by religious or customary law