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Data

Share of women who were married by age 18

What you should know about this indicator

How is this data described by its producer?

Women who were first married by age 18 refers to the percentage of women ages 20-24 who were first married by age 18.

Statistical concept and methodology:

Methodology: Number of women aged 20-24 who were first married or in union before age 18 divided by the total number of women aged 20-24 in the population multiplied by 100. The primary sources for this indicator are the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Additionally, other national household surveys and censuses contribute to the data. These figures are compiled by UNICEF, which coordinates with countries to gather the information. Statistical concept(s): This indicator includes both formal marriages and informal cohabiting relationships. Informal relationships are usually defined as those where a couple lives together with the intention of a long-term relationship but without a formal civil or religious ceremony. The incidence of child marriage is assessed retrospectively among women who are past the risk of marrying as children. The age range of 20 to 24 years is conventionally used to reflect the current prevalence of child marriage.

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.

Limitations and exceptions:

The measure of child marriage is designed to be retrospective, focusing on the age at first marriage among adult women who have already passed the risk period. Although it is feasible to assess the current marital status of girls under 18, this approach could underestimate the true extent of child marriage. This is because girls who are not married at the time of survey may still marry before reaching 18.

Other notes:

This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.3.1[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Source
UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Last updated
February 27, 2026
Next expected update
February 2027
Date range
1985–2023
Unit
% of women ages 20-24

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources

UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank – World Development Indicators

The World Development Indicators (WDI) database, published by the World Bank, is a comprehensive collection of global development data, providing key economic, social, and environmental statistics. It includes over 1,500 indicators covering more than 200 countries and territories, with data spanning several decades.WDI serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, businesses, and analysts seeking to understand global trends and make data-driven decisions. The database covers a wide range of topics, including economic growth, education, health, poverty, trade, energy, infrastructure, governance, and environmental sustainability.The indicators are sourced from reputable national and international agencies, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and comparable data. Users can access the database through interactive online tools, API services, and downloadable datasets, facilitating detailed analysis and visualization.WDI is also used for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global development initiatives. By providing accessible and reliable statistics, it helps to inform policy discussions and strategies globally.Whether for academic research, policy planning, or economic analysis, the World Development Indicators database is an essential tool for understanding and addressing global development challenges.

Retrieved on
February 27, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
UNICEF Data, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), uri: https://sdmx.data.unicef.org/overview.html, note: Indicator code from the original source: PT_F_20-24_MRD_U18; 	Indicator name from the original source: Percentage of women (aged 20-24 years) married or in union before age 18, type: API;
DHS API, DHS Program (ICF), uri: https://api.dhsprogram.com/#/index.html, note: Indicator code from the original source: MA_MBAG_W_B18; 	Indicator name from the original source: Women first married by exact age 18, type: API. Indicator SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS). World Development Indicators - World Bank (2026). Accessed on 2026-02-27.

The World Development Indicators (WDI) database, published by the World Bank, is a comprehensive collection of global development data, providing key economic, social, and environmental statistics. It includes over 1,500 indicators covering more than 200 countries and territories, with data spanning several decades.WDI serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, businesses, and analysts seeking to understand global trends and make data-driven decisions. The database covers a wide range of topics, including economic growth, education, health, poverty, trade, energy, infrastructure, governance, and environmental sustainability.The indicators are sourced from reputable national and international agencies, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and comparable data. Users can access the database through interactive online tools, API services, and downloadable datasets, facilitating detailed analysis and visualization.WDI is also used for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global development initiatives. By providing accessible and reliable statistics, it helps to inform policy discussions and strategies globally.Whether for academic research, policy planning, or economic analysis, the World Development Indicators database is an essential tool for understanding and addressing global development challenges.

Retrieved on
February 27, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
UNICEF Data, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), uri: https://sdmx.data.unicef.org/overview.html, note: Indicator code from the original source: PT_F_20-24_MRD_U18; 	Indicator name from the original source: Percentage of women (aged 20-24 years) married or in union before age 18, type: API;
DHS API, DHS Program (ICF), uri: https://api.dhsprogram.com/#/index.html, note: Indicator code from the original source: MA_MBAG_W_B18; 	Indicator name from the original source: Women first married by exact age 18, type: API. Indicator SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.M18.2024.FE.ZS). World Development Indicators - World Bank (2026). Accessed on 2026-02-27.

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Citations

How to cite this page

To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:

“Data Page: Share of women who were married by age 18”. Our World in Data (2026). Data adapted from UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank. Retrieved from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260512-185716/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.html [online resource] (archived on May 12, 2026).

How to cite this data

In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:

UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data

Full citation

UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. “Share of women who were married by age 18” [dataset]. UNICEF and The DHS Program (ICF), via World Bank, “World Development Indicators 125” [original data]. Retrieved May 14, 2026 from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260512-185716/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.html (archived on May 12, 2026).

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Data URL (CSV format)
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false
Metadata URL (JSON format)
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.metadata.json?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false

Code examples

Examples of how to load this data into different data analysis tools.

Excel / Google Sheets
=IMPORTDATA("https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false")
Python with Pandas
import pandas as pd
import requests

# Fetch the data.
df = pd.read_csv("https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false", storage_options = {'User-Agent': 'Our World In Data data fetch/1.0'})

# Fetch the metadata
metadata = requests.get("https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.metadata.json?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false").json()
R
library(jsonlite)

# Fetch the data
df <- read.csv("https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false")

# Fetch the metadata
metadata <- fromJSON("https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.metadata.json?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false")
Stata
import delimited "https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/women-married-by-age-18.csv?v=1&csvType=full&useColumnShortNames=false", encoding("utf-8") clear