Child marriage rates significantly drop in Uzbekistan — Equality Now

Child marriage and early forced marriage in Uzbekistan have decreased to 3.4 percent over the past decade, according to a report by the international human rights organization Equality Now.

The report highlights that among Eurasian countries, Uzbekistan has the lowest rate of child marriage, while Georgia and Kyrgyzstan have the highest.

The study examined child marriage trends in seven countries — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — analyzing root causes, impacts, existing laws, and potential strategies to combat this human rights issue.

While all seven countries have made efforts to reform laws around child and forced marriage, only Georgia and Azerbaijan have set an unqualified minimum marriage age of 18.

Other countries allow marriage under 18 with parental consent or local approval, and in certain regions of Russia, marriage is permitted from age 14.

Rates of child marriage vary widely across and within these countries. In Georgia, 14 percent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before age 18, with rural areas such as Kvemo Kartli reaching up to 25 percent. Kyrgyzstan also sees a high prevalence, with approximately 13 percent of women in this age group married before 18.

Uzbekistan stands out with the lowest rate at 3.4 percent, a significant decline over the past ten years, though the rate remains higher in some eastern regions at 11 percent.

Armenia’s early marriage rate is 5 percent, placing it among the top ten countries globally in reducing early marriage, although practices persist within certain communities, such as the Yazidi, where girls may marry at 13 or 14.

Equality Now is urging governments to establish a minimum marriage age of 18 without exceptions and recommends financial incentives to support families in keeping girls in school and delaying marriage.