Despite ban, girl child marriage persists, villages drive higher share

The Centre told the Parliament in November last year that child marriages had halved since the enactment of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act in 2006. Fresh data from the Sample Registration System (SRS) reveals that of the total weddings that took place in 2023, 2.1 per cent had a girl child as a bride.      

Most prevalent in West Bengal, Jharkhand  Girl child marriage in total weddings remained above two per cent in the country, barring in Covid-hit year (2020). Over 2019 to 2023 — West Bengal saw the share of girl child marriages in total weddings rise by 2.6 percentage points and Jharkhand by two percentage points. 

 

Villages drive higher share 

Rural India shows higher prevalence at 2.5 per cent, compared to 1.2 per cent in urban areas in 2023, a pattern seen across all states under review. Among the bottom 5 states, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana have brought the numbers down drastically, with urban areas in these states recording zero cases. 

 

Rise in cases post-pandemic 

Cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 rose after the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a slight decline. Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal reported the highest number of cases.