Age at Marriage of Girls in India: Vision and Reality

D. Radha Devi, Independent Researcher

Using data based on 53,410 marriages of 1995-1999 from all but two districts in India, this study examined the current position of age at marriage (AM) vis-à-vis the cherished vision of India to have the girls married off only after they attain 20 years of age, at least not before 18 years (legal minimum AM being 18 years). Marriages are classified into child (10-14), early (15-17), acceptable (18-19) and preferred (20+). Encouragingly, almost two-thirds of the total marriages are either acceptable or preferred. Child marriages are not uncommon particularly in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This is a district level study. Median AM showed less than a third of the 504 districts in the below legal minimum AM category and almost three-fifths of these districts are concentrated in the above mentioned four states. Low economic status and low female literacy rate appears to depress age at marriage.