ISLAMABAD: Nearly one in 10 adolescents aged 15–19 in Pakistan are married, highlighting the continued prevalence of early marriage despite recent legislative efforts to curb the practice.
The findings come amid heightened public debate following the passage of legislation criminalising marriage below the age of 18 in the Islamabad Capital Territory. Gallup Pakistan’s Digital Analytics report shows that nationally close to 10 percent of individuals in the 15–19 age group report being married.
The prevalence of adolescent marriage varies significantly across provinces. Balochistan records the highest rate, with 22.5 percent of individuals aged 15–19 married, followed by Sindh at 17.0 percent and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 13.8 percent. In contrast, lower rates are observed in Punjab (6.9 percent) and Islamabad (4.7 percent).
The analysis also highlights a sharp rural-urban divide. Across all provinces, early marriage is more common in rural areas than in urban centres, reflecting the influence of poverty, lower levels of schooling, and entrenched social norms outside major cities.
Girls are disproportionately affected by early marriage. Nationally, around 15 percent of females aged 15–19 report being married. In some rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan, this figure rises to nearly 30 percent, underscoring the strongly gendered nature of the practice.
According to the report, while early marriage may be declining at the national level, it remains deeply entrenched in specific regions and among adolescent girls. Gallup Pakistan notes that national averages mask substantial sub-national variation, with geography and gender playing a far greater role in shaping outcomes than recent legal changes.
