Gujarat reports higher underage marriages among men than women

Gujarat has recorded more underage marriages among men than women, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6, 2023-24). The data shows that 24.3% of men aged 25-29 years in the state got married before the legal age of 21, compared to 18% of women aged 20-24 years who married before 18.

The figures highlight Gujarat as one of 11 states in India where the incidence of underage marriage is higher among men than women. Other states in this category include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya, along with Union Territories Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Despite the concerning gender pattern, Gujarat has shown positive progress with a decline in underage marriages. Underage marriages among men dropped by 3.4% points from 27.7% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 24.3% in NFHS-6. Similarly, the rate for women fell by 3.8%, from 21.8% to 18% during the same period.

Rajasthan leads the list with the highest prevalence, where 28.5% of men aged 25-29 and 24.6% of women aged 20-24 married below the legal age. In contrast, Kerala reported the lowest figures in the country, with only 1.7% of men and 2.9% of women entering underage marriages.

Nationally, NFHS-6 data indicates that 20.1% of women aged 20-24 and 15.9% of men aged 25-29 married before the legal ages of 18 and 21, respectively.