Child Marriage in High-Prevalence States of India: Disparate Life Trajectories across Socioeconomic Divides

Mohammad Sajid , Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

Life course theory emphasizes how events and social roles across an individual's life can have long-term consequences on their health, education, and social standing. Following this theory, this study aims to explore the multifaceted effects of child marriage on health, education, and economic outcomes, focusing on socioeconomic and demographic factors in high-prevalence states of India. This study utilizes data from the National Family Health Survey-5, 2019-2021. Focusing on 10,951 individuals of the age group 20-24 who got married below the age of 18 years among the five highest prevalence states in India. The prevalence of child marriage is significantly higher among women residing in rural areas (27%) compared to their counterparts (15%). Logistic regression results reveal that child marriage decreases with an increasing level of education the odd ratio with primary (OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.70–0.84; p < .001), and higher (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.16–0.19; p < .001) education are less likely to be married before 18 years compared to illiterate women. These findings recommend the government should focus on the effective and state-specific policy implementation of child marriage enforcement laws to prevent the practice.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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