📉 Child marriage and intimate partner violence continue to decline in India

📉 Child marriage and intimate partner violence continue to decline in India

The share of girls married off as children has fallen to 20.1 percent. The share of women subjected to violence by their partner has dropped to 22.3 percent. Intimate partner violence has decreased by nearly seven percentage points since the previous survey.

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  • The share of girls married off as children has fallen to 20.1 percent.
  • The share of women subjected to violence by their partner has dropped to 22.3 percent.
  • Intimate partner violence has decreased by nearly seven percentage points since the previous survey.

Fewer married off before the age of 18

India continues to reduce the number of child marriages. This is shown by new data from the National Family Health Survey NFHS-6, covering the period 2023–24. According to the survey, 20.1 percent of women in the 20 to 24 age group were married before they turned 18. In India, 18 is the legal age for women to marry.

The figure has fallen compared with the previous survey. In NFHS-5, which covered the years 2019 to 2021, the share stood at 23.3 percent. This means the share of girls married off as children has fallen by just over three percentage points between the two surveys.

Intimate partner violence is decreasing

The survey also shows that fewer women are subjected to violence by their partner. The share of married women who reported experiencing violence in their relationship has fallen to 22.3 percent. In the previous survey, the figure stood at 29.2 percent. That is a decline of nearly seven percentage points.

One of India's largest surveys

NFHS-6 is one of the most comprehensive surveys of its kind in India. It is based on data from around 679,000 households across 715 districts. The survey is carried out by India's Ministry of Health and tracks population, health, nutrition, and family conditions over time.

By comparing the results from NFHS-5 and NFHS-6, it is possible to see the direction of the trend. The latest survey for 2023–24 shows that the decline is holding for both child marriage and intimate partner violence.

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📈 Human ProgressChild marriagesDomestic violenceIndia

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