Bangladesh Has Asia’s Highest Child Marriage Rate: UNICEF Report

Bangladesh has the highest child marriage rate in Asia, with 51% of women aged 20-24 having been married before turning 18, according to a new report released on International Women’s Day.

The report, “Girl Goals: What Has Changed for Girls? Adolescent Girls’ Rights Over 30 Years,” was conducted by UNICEF, UN Women, and Plan International. It highlights the persistent challenges adolescent girls in Bangladesh face, particularly in child marriage, gender inequality, and access to education and employment.

Despite global progress in investing in girls, Bangladesh continues to struggle with deep-rooted gender inequalities that limit opportunities for adolescent girls in education, employment, and safety, the report said.

While healthcare, life expectancy, and education have improved in some areas, adolescent girls in Bangladesh remain at a severe disadvantage:

• Girls aged 15–24 are twice as likely as boys to be out of education, employment, or training.
• 28% of adolescent girls (15-19) have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner in the past year.
• The secondary school completion rate for girls is only 59.22%, and fewer than 2% of young women have access to digital training.

“The barriers that adolescent girls face in Bangladesh continue to hold them back from realizing their potential,” said Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh.

The report also underscored the country’s struggles in education and digital literacy, urging immediate policy changes to bridge gaps in education, skills development, and technology access.

Gitanjali Singh, UN Women representative in Bangladesh, emphasized the need for a collective effort to protect adolescent girls: “Many young girls remain out of school and vulnerable to violence and harmful practices. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensure their rights are protected.”

Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has made progress in healthcare, particularly through a successful HPV vaccination campaign that has protected 93% of eligible girls from cervical cancer.

The report called for greater investment in adolescent girls and data-driven interventions to empower them economically and socially, ensuring they can contribute meaningfully to their communities and the country’s future.