Global Programme on Ending Child Marriage in Zambia 2024 Report
From traditional leaders to adolescent advocates, communities across Zambia are taking a stand to end child marriage
Highlights
There are 2.1 million girls and women living in Zambia today who were married before age 18, almost 479,000 of whom were married before they were 15.1 Over the past few decades, the prevalence of child marriage in Zambia has steadily declined. Currently, 29 per cent of young women aged 20 to 24 were married before age 18, and 5 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 married before age 15.2 The 2024 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) suggests that the prevalence of child marriage may have decreased slightly since 2018.
“I want the Kawaza chiefdom to be free from early marriages, unplanned pregnancies, and issues related to gender-based violence and defilement cases.” — Chieftainess Kawaza, of the Chewa people of Katete and Sinda districts.
Download the full 2024 Annual Report on Ending Child Marriage in Zambia.
