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Child marriage in Africa: A systematic review

EDWARD ODOOM · 1 Jan 2026

Abstract

Child marriage is described as any formal marriage or informal union in which one of the partners is less than 18 years [1]. This practice is not limited to cultures or geographical areas, but it is a global phenomenon that exists in different forms in diverse societies. In 2023, UNICEF reported that about 650 million women globally were married in their childhood [2]. The report further documented that one in three girls marry before 18 years in Africa. These statistics suggest a disproportionate burden in Africa, pointing to deep-rooted structural, cultural, and socioeconomic factors that continue to sustain the practice. Determinants of child marriages rest on community notions on the period childhood ends and adult responsibilities commence and the socially outlined pathways during these transitions [3]. In many contexts, these unions reflect beliefs about when a young person becomes an adult, what it means to protect family honour or how gender shapes the expectations placed on girls and boys [3] In South Asia, the practice of child marriage is entwined with established social constructs such as caste hierarchies, kinship and the expectations placed on family honour and female purity [4]. Within these settings, marrying girls early is often viewed as a way to protect them from perceived social risks, maintain community reputation and preserve established family alliances [4]. These beliefs continue to shape marital decisions even as education and economic opportunities slowly expand [3,4]. In parts of the Middle East, child marriage is similarly anchored in tradition, but the motivations may differ [5]. Early unions can function as mechanisms for strengthening inter-family alliances, ensuring social stability, or preserving tribes [6,7]. In some communities, these marriages are seen as a means of offering security to young girls, especially in contexts affected by conflict, displacement, or economic uncertainty [8–10]. The endurance of these norms illustrates how marriage practices can become tightly bound to community identity and collective survival strategies. In Latin America, informal unions involving minors are often consensual but shaped by inequality and occur alongside legally recognized marriages [11]. These relationships reflect different understandings of partnership, adulthood and family formation. Economic hardship, gendered expectations and limited access to education frequently intersect to normalise early cohabitation, blurring the line between cultural practice and structural constraint [3,4]. The coexistence of formal and informal unions indicates a broader regional conversation about agency, vulnerability and legal protection for adolescents. Despite the regional variations, common threads emerge. Across different societies, the decisions that lead to child marriage are seldom made by the child alone but are the product of collective social expectations, familial pressures and communal norms [4]. Research shows that elders, parents, religious leaders and peers all influence when and why the child enters a marital union. These shared dynamics help explain why the practice persists even where legal restrictions exist and why interventions that do not engage local communities often fail. Although it occurs in many parts of the world, it takes on especially powerful local forms in Africa. Here, marriage can represent a socially accepted pathway into adulthood, a signal of maturity and a form of belonging [12]. In some communities, marrying young is not only accepted but upheld as a responsible or protective choice by families navigating traditional expectations. Scholars have increasingly emphasized the need to understand child marriage through the lens of local lived experiences how it is justified, negotiated and sometimes resisted in specific cultural contexts. This systematic review aims to synthesize current African studies to show the facilitators, barriers and outcomes of child marriage. This review is needed because of the persistent but uneven burden of child marriage across Africa, where existing evidence remains fragmented across countries, populations, and study designs, that limits a coherent understanding of the phenomenon. What distinguishes this review is its integrative approach, bringing together prevalence, determinants, protective factors, and outcomes within a single analytical framework, while also capturing both quantitative patterns and lived social realities. This review synthesised evidence across diverse contexts and methodological traditions and moves beyond isolated findings to reveal how structural, cultural, and individual factors intersect to sustain or prevent child marriage. The resulting evidence provides a more holistic and contextually grounded basis for policy and practice, offering clearer direction for targeted interventions, resource prioritisation, and future research within the African setting