Fiche descriptive

In Malawi, child marriage (marriage to a person less than 18 years old) remains a key development challenge. Malawi has the 11th highest rate of child marriage in the world and the 9th highest rate in Africa. 47 per cent of women marry before the age of 18 and 12 per cent before the age of 15. Typically, the age at first birth is about one year after marriage. As a consequence, Malawi’s teenage pregnancy rate is very high – 29 per cent of girls aged 15-19 have begun childbearing.

Child Marriage in Malawi