What Are the Statistics on Child Marriage in Iran?

In recent weeks, a wave of support for child marriage in Iran has emerged. Simultaneously, some officials have downplayed the statistics of this type of marriage. Factnameh examined this issue in its report for the Farsi section of Deutsche Welle.

Massoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President for Women and Family Affairs of Iran’s President, said in a meeting held on February 28, 2019 with foreign media: “The statistics on child marriage in Iran are not very high and the numbers are low, but from our perspective it is very important. It has two main dimensions, a legal and juridical dimension for which the government has drafted a bill in this regard.”

She also stated: “Our statistics regarding child marriage are more prevalent in marginal and border areas, which are mostly related to ethnic issues.”

Ms. Ebtekar did not present statistics on child marriages in Iran, but spoke of measures that are on the government’s agenda to prevent child marriages. It is unclear what is meant by the statistics being “high” or “low” and on what standard it was stated that child marriage statistics in the country are not high. Is her statement a formality and groundwork for presenting the second part, namely the government’s measures to draft a law prohibiting child marriage?

Definition of Child Marriage

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) considers marriage under the age of 18 as child marriage. According to UNICEF statistics, in 2010 the rate of child marriage (girls and boys) under 18 years in Iran was 17 percent, and the rate of marriage under 15 years (girls and boys) was three percent, equal to the average for the Middle East and North Africa region.

However, there is no clear and precise definition of child marriage in Iran’s laws. Article 1041 of the Civil Law, which was amended on December 18, 2000, is the only legal provision that refers to the marriage age, but this legal provision does not provide any restriction or precise definition for child marriage: “The marriage contract of a girl before reaching the age of 13 full solar years and a boy before reaching the age of 15 full solar years is conditional upon the permission of the guardian, subject to the interest as determined by the competent court.”

Nevertheless, no accurate statistics have been published about the number of girls who marry before the age of 13. The only way to make a relative estimate is to use statistics from the Civil Registration Organization, which periodically presents disaggregated marriage statistics in five-year age groups.

In this report, the age of 15 years is considered as the basis for child marriage.

Child Marriage Statistics in Iran

Based on Iran’s Civil Registration statistics, the number of marriages of girls under 15 years during the years 2012-2017 has fluctuated between 35,000 to 41,000 cases. This means that in the past six years, in five to six percent of marriages registered in Iran, the bride was under 15 years old.

However, if we assume that only half of the marriages in the 15-19 age group took place under the age of 18, then we can estimate that the rate of marriage of girls under 18 years among Iranian girls is more than 20 percent. UNICEF estimated the overall marriage rate of boys and girls under 18 years at 17 percent, but given the larger share of girls in marriages in the 15-20 age range, it can be said with certainty that the statistics of marriages of girls under 18 years in Iran is definitely more than 20 percent.

In Which Regions of Iran Is Child Marriage More Prevalent?

Regional statistics for 2016 show that the highest number of marriages of girls under 10 years is related to the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan, and Zanjan, but the record for marriages under 15 years is held respectively by the provinces of Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, and Khuzestan.

To get a more accurate picture, these statistics and figures should be divided by the total number of registered marriages to see what the rate of marriage of girls under 15 years is in each province.

Conclusion

By summarizing the available information, we can better judge whether child marriage statistics in Iran are high or low.

1- Despite legal restrictions on marriage under 13 years, according to official statistics, marriages of girls under 10 years in recent years have exceeded 200 cases. These nine-year-old girls and younger have sat at the marriage contract table with the determination and permission of official courts.

2- A review of Civil Registration statistics shows that during the years 2012-2017, out of every 100 marriages registered in Iran, in five or six cases the bride’s age was less than 15 years.

3- International estimates indicate that the overall rate (including girls and boys) of marriage under 18 years in Iran is around 17 percent. This rate for girls is more than 20 percent. That is, out of every five girls under 18 years in Iran, one gets married. Based on these statistics, Iran, although it is not in the critical red situation like South Asia and West and Central Africa, is among the less developed countries where child marriage has emerged as a social crisis.

Sources:

UNICEF website: https://www.unicef.org/rosa/what-we-do/child-protection/child-marriage
Civil Law text: http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/97937

Yearbook of Population Statistics 2016: https://www.sabteahval.ir/Upload/Modules/Contents/asset99/Yearbook_1395.pdf

Yearbook of Population Statistics 2017: https://www.sabteahval.ir/Upload/Modules/Contents/asset99/Internet_V2.pdf

UNICEF website: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/child-marriage/

Source: DW