According to Grok:
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93 million child brides in East Asia and the Pacific: staggering numbers reveal stalled progress
New UNICEF analysis shows that one in 13 young women in the region were married before age 18, underscoring deep inequalities and the need for renewed action.
Bangkok, 25 November 2025 – East Asia and the Pacific is home to an estimated 93 million child brides, accounting for 14 per cent of the global total, according to a new UNICEF analysis released today. Despite earlier gains, progress has stalled, leaving millions of girls at risk of child marriage and its lifelong consequences. Across the region, one in 13 young women aged 20 to 24 were married or in union before turning 18.
“The effects of child marriage on girls are devastating,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific. “When girls marry young, they are more likely to drop out of school, face adolescent pregnancies and experience domestic violence. Too many girls in our region are still denied the chance to learn, to dream and to decide their own future.”
The report shows that child marriage remains concentrated among the poorest, least educated and most marginalized girls. Across the region, girls from the poorest families are eight times more likely to marry before 18 than those from the wealthiest households. Rural residence and low levels of education further heighten the risk.
Although child marriage is less common in East Asia and the Pacific than in other regions, progress toward elimination has slowed markedly. The region is not on track to meet the global target of ending child marriage by 2030 and would need to accelerate progress significantly to reach that goal.
Prevalence varies sharply across sub-regions. Levels are highest in Oceania, where roughly one in four girls are married before age 18, while levels are considerably lower in Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia. Across the region, most child marriages are formal, but informal unions are common in parts of South-eastern Asia, such as the Philippines and Thailand.
Child marriage among boys remains uncommon but persists, particularly in Oceania, where 4 per cent were married before age 18, slightly above the global average of 3 per cent. In Eastern Asia, the practice is far rarer, affecting less than 1 per cent of young men aged 20–24.
The consequences for girls’ education and health are severe. In East Asia and the Pacific, girls who marry before age 18 are five times more likely to be out of school than those who remain unmarried. More than eight in ten child brides give birth while still in their teens, and almost half become mothers before turning 18, putting both them and their babies at greater risk of health complications and trapping families in cycles of poverty.
UNICEF underscores that ending child marriage in East Asia and the Pacific will require intensified, coordinated efforts that tackle its root causes—gender inequality, poverty and limited access to education and services. The report calls on governments, civil society and communities to keep girls in school through targeted financial and social support; enforce and harmonize minimum-age laws setting 18 as the legal age of marriage for both girls and boys; challenge harmful gender norms that devalue girls and drive early marriage; and empower adolescents to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives.
To help governments and communities address these challenges, UNICEF, together with UNFPA and with support from the Australian Government, is implementing a regional programme, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Ending Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Southeast Asia.” The initiative works across sectors to prevent and respond to child marriage, while promoting girls’ rights, education, and opportunities.
“Ending child marriage is one of the smartest investments a country can make,” added Ms Kunugi. “When girls stay in school and are empowered to make their own choices, the benefits extend to families, communities and entire societies.”
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Read the full report here.
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California legislature votes to ban child marriage and empower forced marriage victims
The two bills are yet to be signed into law, as they await Governor Gavin Newsom's signature. If confirmed, the legislation will take effect on January 1, 2027.
California's state legislature passed two bills this week that close long-standing legal loopholes by establishing an absolute ban on child marriage and enabling victims of forced marriage to secure civil restraining orders.
Assembly Bill 1267 institutes a ban on child marriage by repealing "the authorization for a person under 18 years of age to be issued a marriage license or to establish a domestic partnership."
AB 2534 empowers individuals to protect themselves against forced marriage by incorporating it into the state's Domestic Violence Prevention Act, allowing victims to secure civil restraining orders against anyone who coerces, facilitates, or arranges an unwanted union.
According to the nonprofit legal advocacy organization, Tahiri Justice Center, AB 1267 will make California the 18th state in the nation to completely ban child marriage. AB 2534 will create the first forced marriage protection order in the country.
young actress plays the role of Giorgia, 10, forced to marry Paolo, 47, during a happening organised by Amnesty
