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Legal Age for MarriageGo toSearch glossaries

Source: Indicators on Women and Men | United Nations Statistics Division
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Country or area Minimum Legal Age for Marriage Source year Source
Without parental consent With parental consent 
women men women men
Afghanistan 16 18 15 ... 2011 UNPD
1 Aland Islands 18 18 2011 UNSD
Albania ... ... 16 18 2011 UNSD
Algeria 19 19 ... ... 2012 CEDAW (51st session)
Andorra  16 16 14 14 2001 CEDAW (25th session)
Angola 18 18 15 a 16 a 2013 CEDAW (54th session)
Anguilla 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Antigua and Barbuda 18 18 15 15 1997 CEDAW (17th session)
Argentina 18 18 ... ... 2010 Civil code of Argentina
Armenia 17 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Aruba 18 18 15 18 2011 UNSD
Australia 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
2 Austria 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Azerbaijan ... ... 17 18 2011 UNSD
Bahamas 18 18 <18 b <18 b 2012 CEDAW (52th session)
Bahrain ... 15 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Bangladesh 18 21 ... ... 2004 CEDAW (31st session)
Barbados 18 18 16 16 2011 UNPD
3 Belarus 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Belgium 18 18 <18 <18 2011 UNSD
Belize 18 18 14 14 2007 CEDAW (39th session)
Benin 18 18 <18 c <18 c 2005 CEDAW (33rd session)
1 Bermuda 18 18 2011 UNSD
Bhutan 18 18 ... ... 2009 CEDAW (44th session)
Bolivia 14 16 <14 d <16 d 2008 CEDAW (40th session)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Botswana 21 21 18 18 2011 UNSD
Brazil 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Brunei Darussalam                        18 c 18 c ... ... 2011 UNPD
Bulgaria 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
4 Burkina Faso 17 20 15 18 2011 UNSD
Burundi 18 21 <18 e <21 e 2008 CEDAW (40th session)
Cambodia 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Cameroon 15 f 18 ... ... 2000 CEDAW (23rd session) 
5 Canada 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Cape Verde 18 18 16 g 16 g 2006 CEDAW (36th session)
Cayman Islands 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Central African Republic 18 22 ... ... 2011 UNPD
Chad 15 18 ... ... 2011 CEDAW (50th session)
Chile 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
China 20 c 22 c ... ... 2011 UNPD
China, Hong Kong SAR 21 21 16 16 2011 UNSD
China, Macao SAR 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Colombia 18 18 14 14 2011 UNSD
Comoros                                  18 22 ... ... 2011 UNPD
Congo 18 21 <18 h <21 h 2003 CEDAW (28th session)
Cook Islands 21 21 16 16 2011 UNSD
Costa Rica 18 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
Côte d'Ivoire 18 20 ... ... 2011 CEDAW (50th session)
Croatia 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Cuba 16 18 14 16 2011 UNSD
Cyprus 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Czech Republic 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 17 18 ... ... 2005 CEDAW (33rd session)
Democratic Republic of Congo 15 18 ... ... 2006 CEDAW (36th session)
Denmark 18 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
Djibouti 18 18 <18 i <18 i 2011 CEDAW (49th session)
Dominica 18 18 16 16 2011 UNPD
Dominican Republic 18 18 16 17 2011 UNSD
Ecuador 18 18 <18 <18 2011 UNSD
Egypt 21 21 16 18 2011 UNSD
El Salvador 18 18 14 15 2011 UNSD
Equatorial Guinea 12 12 ... ... 2004 CEDAW (31st session)
Eritrea 18 j 18 ... ... 2006 CEDAW (34th session)
Estonia 18 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
Ethiopia 18 18 ... ... 2011 CEDAW (49th session)
Fiji 21 21 16 18 2011 UNPD
6 Finland 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
1 France 18 18 2011 UNSD
Gabon 21 21 15 18 2005 CEDAW (32nd session)
Gambia ... k ... k 2005 CEDAW (33rd session)
Georgia 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
7 Germany 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Ghana 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Gibraltar 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
8 Greece 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
9 Greenland 18 18 15 16 2011 UNSD
Grenada                                  21 21 16 16 2012 CEDAW (51th session)
Guatemala 18 18 14 16 2009 CEDAW (43th session)
Guinea 17 18 ... ... 2007 CEDAW (39th session)
Guinea-Bissau 17 17 ... ... 2009 CEDAW (44th session)
Guyana 18 18 16 16 2012 CEDAW (52th session)
Haiti 18 18 15 l 18 l 2009 CEDAW (43rd session)
Honduras                                21 21 18 18 2011 UNPD
Hungary 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
1 Iceland 18 18 2011 UNSD
India 18 c 21 c ... ... 2011 UNPD
Indonesia 16 19 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Iran ... ... 15 18 2011 UNSD
Iraq 18 18 15 ... 2011 UNPD
1, 10 Ireland 18 18 2011 UNSD
Isle of Man 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
1 Israel 17 17 2011 UNSD
Italy 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Jamaica 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Japan 20 20 16 18 2011 UNSD
Jersey 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Jordan 18 18 ... ... 2012 CEDAW (51th session)
Kazakhstan 17 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Kenya 18 18 16 2011 UNPD
Kiribati                                 21 21 16 16 2011 UNPD
Kuwait 15 17 ... ... 2011 CEDAW (50th session)
Kyrgyzstan 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Lao's People Democratic Republic 18 18 15 a 15 a 2009 CEDAW (44th session)
Latvia 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Lebanon 12.5-17 c 16-18 c 9-15 c,m 13-17 c 2008 CEDAW (40th session)
Lesotho 21 21 16 n 18 n 2011 CEDAW (50th session)
Liberia 18 21 16 16 2011 UNSD
11 Libya ... ... 18 18 2011 UNSD
2 Liechtenstein 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
12 Lithuania 18 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
Luxembourg 16 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Madagascar 18 18 ... ... 2008 CEDAW (42nd session)
1 Malawi 18 18 2011 UNSD
13 Malaysia 16 and 21 18 and 21 16 18 2011 UNSD
Maldives 18 18 <18 a <18 a 2007 CEDAW (37th session)
Mali 15 18 ... ... 2006 CEDAW (34th session)
Malta 16 16 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Marshall Islands                         18 18 ... ... 2011 UNPD
Mauritania 18 18 ... ... 2007 CEDAW (38th session)
Mauritius 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
14 Mexico 18 18 14 16 2011 UNSD
Micronesia (Federated States of)              16 18 <16 ... 2011 UNPD
Monaco 21 21 15 18 2011 UNPD
Mongolia 18 18 ... ... 2001 CEDAW (24th session)
Montenegro 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
15 Montserrat 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Morobbo 18 18 <18 o <18 o 2008 CEDAW (40th session)
1 Morocco 18 18 2011 UNSD
Mozambique 18 18 16 16 2011 UNPD
Myanmar 20 20 14 ... 2011 UNPD
Namibia 21 21 18 18 2011 UNSD
Nauru                                   16 18 <16 <18 2011 UNPD
Nepal 20 20 18 18 2011 UNSD
Netherlands 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Netherlands Antilles 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
New Caledonia 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
New Zealand 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Nicaragua 18 21 14 15 2007 CEDAW (37th session)
Niger 15 p 18 p ... ... 2007 CEDAW (38th session)
Nigeria                               18 c 18 c ... ... 2011 UNPD
Niue                                     19 21 15 18 2011 UNPD
Norway 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
1 Oman 18 18 2011 UNSD
Pakistan 16 18 ... ... 2013 CEDAW (54th session)
Palau                                    ... q ... q ... ... 2011 UNPD
Panama 18 18 14 16 2011 UNSD
Papua New Guinea 16 r 18 r 14 g,s 16 g 2010 CEDAW (46th session)
Paraguay 20 20 16 16 2005 CEDAW (32nd session)
Peru 18 18 16 g 16 g 2007 CEDAW (37th session)
Philippines 21 21 18 18 2011 UNSD
16 Poland 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Portugal 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Puerto Rico 21 21 16 18 2011 UNSD
Qatar                                    16 18 <16 <18 2011 UNPD
Republic of Korea  20 20 18 18 2011 UNSD
Republic of Moldova 16 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
1 Romania 18 18 2011 UNSD
Russian Federation 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Rwanda 21 21 <21 <21 2011 UNPD
Saint Helena ex. dep. 21 21 16 16 2011 UNSD
Saint Kitts and Nevis                    16 16 ... ... 2011 UNPD
Saint Lucia 18 18 16 16 2006 CEDAW (35th session)
Samoa 19 21 16 18 2005 CEDAW (32nd session)
San Marino 18 18 16 16 2011 UNPD
Sao Tome and Principe                    18 18 14 16 2011 UNPD
Saudi Arabia ... q ... q ... ... 2011 UNPD
Senegal 18 18 <18 <18 2011 UNSD
Serbia  18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Seychelles 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
1 Sierra Leone 18 18 2011 UNSD
17 Singapore 21 21 <21 <21 2011 UNSD
18 Slovakia 16 16 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Slovenia 18 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
Solomon Islands                          18 18 15 15 2011 UNPD
Somalia                                18 18 16 ... 2011 UNPD
South Africa 21 21 15 18 2011 UNSD
Spain 18 18 14 14 2011 UNSD
Sri Lanka 18 c 18 c 16 ... 2001 CEDAW (26th session)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines           15 16 ... ... 2011 UNPD
19 State of Palestine ... 15.5 14.5 ... 2011 UNSD
Suriname 21 21 15 17 2011 UNSD
Swaziland                                21 21 16 18 2011 UNPD
20 Sweden 18 18 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Switzerland 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Syrian Arab Republic 18 18 ... ... CEDAW (38th session)
Tajikistan 18 18 17 17 2011 UNSD
TFYR of Macedonia 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Thailand 17 p 17 p ... ... 2006 CEDAW (34th session)
Timor-Leste             15 18 ... ... 2011 UNPD
Togo 17 20 ... ... 2012 CEDAW (53th session)
Tonga                                    18 18 16 ... 2011 UNPD
21 Trinidad and Tobago 18 18 <18 <18 2011 UNSD
Tunisia 18 18 <18 <18 2010 CEDAW (47th session)
Turkey 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Turkmenistan                             16 16 ... ... 2012 CEDAW (53th session)
Tuvalu 21 21 16 16 2009 CEDAW (44th session)
1, 22 Uganda 18 18 2011 UNSD
Ukraine 17 18 15 15 2011 UNSD
United  Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
United Republic of Tanzania 18 18 14 14 2011 UNPD
United States of America 18 t 18 t 13 14 2011 UNPD
Uruguay 18 18 12 14 2011 UNSD
Uzbekistan 17 17 ... ... 2011 UNSD
Vanuatu 16 18 <16 <18 2007 CEDAW (38th session)
1 Venezuela 12 12 2011 UNSD
Vietnam 18 20 ... ... 2007 CEDAW (37th session)
Yemen 15 u 15 u ... ... 2002 CEDAW (exceptional session 2002) 
Zambia 21 21 ... ... 2011 CEDAW (49th session)
Zimbabwe 18 18 16 16 2011 UNSD
Footnotes
... Data not available
1 The minimum legal age at which marriage can take place is the same respectively for bride and groom with or without parental consent. 
2 Persons less than 18 years old need a decision of the court.
3 In compliance with the Marriage and Family Code of the Republic of Belarus, in the exclusive cases related to pregnancy, childbirth, and in case of acquiring by a juvenile of a full legal capacity under lawful age, the civil registration offices are in a position to reduce the marriage age of espousing persons, but not more than by 3 years. The marriage age is to be reduced by an application of espousing persons; the parental consent is not required.
4 In addition, an age waiver may be granted by a civil court for a serious reason from 15 years for women and 18 years for men.
5 Marriage is under provincial and territory legislations. Without parental consent, the minimum legal age at which marriage can take place is 18 years of age in all provinces and territories in Canada except in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Yukon where the minimum legal age is 19 years. With parental consent, the minimum legal age is 16 years in all provinces except in Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. With parental consent, in Northwest Territories, and Yukon the minimum legal age is 15 years whereas in Nunavut, the minimum legal age is 18 years.  
6 Persons less than 18 years old need the permission of the Ministry of Justice.
7 Marriage at 16-17 years of age requires that the other spouse be an adult already betrothed (18 years) and an exemption from the requirement of majority by a competent family court.
8 Under some conditions (e.g. pregnancy) the marriage can take place without age restrictions.
9 To marry at age younger than 18 years, both parental and official consent are needed. Pregnancy is one of the very few reasons to get official consent.
10 An exemption on the minimum age can be granted by court order if granting of such an exemption is in the best interests of the parties to the intended marriage and good reasons for the application can be demonstrated.
11 According to the Islamic law, marriage requires parental consent. Consent of the bride herself, as well as the guardian's consent are fundamental in the marriage contract.  Young men usually choose the consent of the parents. Minimum age at marriage is usually 18 years. According to the law, marriage is not restricted to individuals  over the age of 18 years.
12 In addition to parental consent, persons less than 18 years old need judicial approval. In case of pregnancy, marriage can be allowed below 15 years of age.
13 Without parental consent, it is 21 years of age for non-Muslim males and 18 years of age for Muslim males whereas it is 21 years of age for non-Muslim females and 16 years of age for Muslim females. For marriage with parental consent, approval of relevant authorities is required.  
14 Each of the 31 Federal States and the Federal District has its own civil code for marriage. Exceptions to ages given in the table are as follows: without parental consent, the minimum legal age at which marriage can take place in Baja California and Tlaxcala is 16 years for males and 14 years for females whereas in Baja California Sur, it is 16 years for females.  With parental consent, the minimum legal age for marriage is 16 years for both males and females in Aguascalientes, Campeche, Chiapas, Distrito Federal, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Sonora. With parental consent, the minimum legal age for marriage is under 18 years for both males and females in Coahuila, Hidalgo, and Zacatecas. The Minimum legal age for marriage remains the same respectively for bride and groom with or without parental consent in Baja California, Baja California Sur and Tlaxcala.    
15 Consent can be given by a guardian or a person who has custody of the child wishing to marry. Also the Governor has discretion to permit persons as young as 15 years and 1 day old to marry, if he thinks that getting married is in the best interest of the persons who are intending to marry and the persons in this instance must have also received the necessary consent.
16 Females can marry at the age of 16 or 17 years with parental and court consent.
17 Specified minimum legal marriage age refers to marriages contracted under the Women's Charter.  For Muslim marriages under the Administration of Muslim Law Act, no marriage shall be solemnised when either party is below the age of 18 years. Notwithstanding that, Muslim women below the age of 18 years who have attained the age of puberty may be married under the Administration of the Muslim Law Act.
18 A marriage cannot be entered into by a minor. The court may exceptionally and for important reasons approve of entrance into marriage by a minor older than sixteen years. Without this approval, the marriage is invalid and the court shall declare the invalidity even without a petition.
19 The legal marriage age for females is 14 years, 6 months and 22 days. There must be parental consent (father or brother if the father is dead). The legal marriage age for males is 15 years, 6 months and 21 days. Parental consent is not required.
20 With parental consent, no limit but authorities must approve; without parental consent, 18 years of age for Swedish citizens.
21 With parental consent, age for marriage is 14 years for males and 12 years for females in a civil marriage; 16 years for males and 12 years for females in a Muslim marriage; 18 years for males and 14 years for females in a Hindu marriage; and 18 years for males and 16 for females in Orisa marriage.  
22 As reported by Uganda Bureau of Statistics, marriages with or without parental consent may occur much earlier than 18 years of age.
a Under exceptional circumstances.
b Require the necessary consent unless the Supreme Court certifies that the proposed marriage appears to be proper.
c Minimum legal ages at marriage may vary across states/provinces, ethnic groups, religious groups or forms of marriage.
d Marriages between adolescents have to be approved by their parents, although there does exist the option that, if the parents do not give their consent, a judge may authorize the marriage. 
e Exceptions may be made in case of force majeure
f The consent of a minor future husband or wife shall not be valid unless supported by that of the father and mother. This consent must be free and without defect.
g Requires authorization of civil court.
h The State Procurator may, in a serious case, grant a dispensation of the minimum legal age.
i The marriage of minors under the age of legal majority is subject to the consent of their guardians. If the guardian refuses consent and the future couple remain insistent, the marriage may be authorized by a judge.
j In case the woman is pregnant or has already given birth to a child at the age of 16, dispensation might be granted from the rule concerning age.
k No minimum legal age for marriage. The constitution states that men and women of "full age and capacity" shall have the right to marry and find a family.
l According to Civil Code.
m Although provision exists, the Government reports that it is not enforced, since it is no longer customary to permit marriage of girls at the age of nine.
n Requires the written consent of the Minister responsible
o Special authorization to contract mariage may be grantd to a young man or woman who has not yet reached  that age (18) by family court judge competent to perform marriages.
p Requires parental consent for minors.
q There is no legislation specifying the minimum age at marriage for men and women.
r Under statutory marriage, the parties must be over 21 years old. (persons under 21 years of age may marry with parental consent unless a court has dispensed with this requirement)
s Under customary law, the emphasis is on physical maturity rather than on the chronological age, a girl of 14 years of age who has the attributes of a physically 'fit' person may enter into a valid customary marriage.
t The legal minimum age for marriage varies by State.
u Based on age of majority. Marriage may not be contracted with a minor, except where such marriage will entail some clear benefit.
Sources:
Compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division (DYB 2011: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2011/notes/notes24.pdf) and supplemented by data from the periodic country reports to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), available from the websites, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw, and data published by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2011). World Fertility Policies 2011 (United Nations publications, Sales No. E.11.XIII.5).
UNPD     United Nations Population Division
UNSD     United Nations Statistics Division
CEDAW  Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Technical notes:
Marriage is defined in terms of the laws of the individual country or area. 
Source

Indicators on Women and Men

Source:  United Nations Statistics Division

The Indicators on Women and Men provides the latest statistics and indicators on women and men in six specific fields of concern: population, women and men in families, health, education, work and political decision making. The statistics and indicators refer to the latest year for which sex-disaggregated data are available. The data have been compiled from official national sources as well as international sources.

These indicators are no longer updated. Please visit http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/data.html for other Gender Statistics.
Last update in UNdata: 2013/07/11
Next update in UNdata: Not applicable
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