25% Of Women In Age Group 18-29 Year Married Off As Minors

According to the data released as part of the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21), 25% of women aged 18-29 and 15% of men aged 21-29 had married as minors. It means that they got hitched before reaching the legal minimum age of marriage, which is 18 years for women and 21 years for men.

However, the good news is that the trend of early marriage has been declining over time with marriage before the legal age of 18 in the current survey at 23% for women between the ages of 20-24. On the other hand, the figure in NFHS-4 conducted in 2015-16 was 26. 8 percent.

This survey has been released at a time when the Central government is planning to raise the age of marriage for girls from 18 to make it 21 years for both men and women.

Here are more points covered in the survey

• The National Family Health Survey 5 also highlights that women who attend school for 12 or more years marry much later in life as compared to other women. The median age at first marriage for women aged 25-49 increased from 17. 1 years for women with no schooling to 22. 8 years for women with 12 or more years of schooling.
• The data from states says that about two-fifths of women were married before reaching the legal minimum age at marriage in West Bengal (42%), Bihar (40%), and Tripura (39%)
• About one-third of them tied the knot before reaching the legal age of marriage in Jharkhand (35%) and Andhra Pradesh (33%).
• In Lakshadweep, however, the percentage of women marrying before reaching the legal age of marriage is the lowest. It stands at 6%. This is followed by Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh where it is 6% each. In Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Nagaland it is 7% each. On the other hand, in Kerala and Puducherry, it is 8% each.
• The report further indicates men tend to marry considerably later than women in India. The median age at first marriage is 19. 2 years among women aged 20-49 and 24. 9 years among men aged 25-49.
• The survey also highlights that urban women tend to get married later in life as compared to rural women.
• This survey has been released at a time when the Central government is planning to raise the age of marriage for girls from 18 to make it 21 years for both men and women.

Suggested Reading : National Family Health Survey Shows Indians Keen To Have Daughters