Key Takeaways:
- Child marriage rate fell from 37 percent to 28 percent over the past decade
- Girls from the poorest households are 4.4 times more likely to marry early
- Marriage before age 15 declined from 10 percent to 5 percent
- UNICEF says Nepal remains off track to eliminate child marriage by 2030
Nepal is off track to eliminate child marriage by 2030 despite a decline in the practice over the past decade, with girls from the poorest households continuing to face a significantly higher risk, according to a new UNICEF report.
The proportion of women aged 20–24 who married before turning 18 fell from 37 per cent in 2014 to 28 per cent in 2024–25, while the share married before age 15 halved from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, according to the advocacy brief Ending Child Marriage in Nepal: A Decade of Data and a Call to Action.
However, the gains have not been shared equally. Girls from the poorest households are now 4.4 times more likely to marry before 18 than those from the richest households. The report says rates among the poorest households have changed little in recent years, while wealthier groups have made faster progress.
The brief, based on Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 2014, 2019 and 2024–25, also found that the median age at first marriage rose from 17 years in 2001 to 19.6 years in 2024–25.
"Progress is not happening quickly enough, and it is not reaching all girls equally," said Alice Akunga, UNICEF representative to Nepal. She called for greater efforts to protect girls from the poorest and most marginalised communities.
Education is a key factor in preventing child marriage, according to the brief. Girls who complete secondary education face a substantially lower risk of marrying before 18, but poverty and other barriers often push the most vulnerable girls out of school early.
The report also warns that climate-related disasters, including recent floods in Nepal, can increase the risk of child marriage and other forms of violence against children by disrupting education, reducing household income and increasing protection risks.
"These findings show that change is possible and that Nepal has made important progress in reducing child marriage," said UNICEF Representative to Nepal Alice Akunga. However, she said progress remains too slow and is not reaching all girls equally, particularly those from poor and marginalised communities.
UNICEF has called for targeted support for girls from the poorest households, measures to keep girls in school through adolescence, stronger child protection systems, action against harmful social norms and greater investment in programmes that empower girls and support families.
With four years remaining to meet Sustainable Development Goal Target 5.3 on ending child marriage, UNICEF urged the government, development partners, civil society and communities to accelerate efforts to ensure girls can grow up free from the practice.