Compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division from information provided in the periodic country reports to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), available from the websites, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/ (accessed December 2011), supplemented by data published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, “Results of the Eighth and Ninth United Nations inquiry on population and development”.
| … |
Data not available. |
| a |
Requires authorization of civil court. |
| b |
Under exceptional circumstances. |
| c |
Requires parental consent. |
| d |
In exceptional circumstances, where one party to a proposed marriage is under the age of 18 years and has already turned 16 years, the court may grant approval to that person being married to a specific person over the age of 18 years. |
| e |
Refers to customary law of Dahomey. Differences are also reported depending on ethnic group and form of marriage. |
| f |
Marriages between adolescents have to be approved by their parents, although there does exist the option that, if the parents do not give their consent, a judge may authorize the marriage. |
| g |
Exceptions may be made in case of force majeure |
| h |
Authorization of marriage at younger ages through court decision possible in some provinces and territories. |
| i |
Exceptions apply to men. |
| j |
The State Procurator may, in a serious case, grant a dispensation of the minimum legal age. |
| k |
If person is under 18, the Danish High Commissioner resident may grant permission to marry. |
| l |
The marriage of minors under the age of legal majority is subject to the consent of their guardians. If the guardian refuses consent and the future couple remain insistent, the marriage may be authorized by a judge. |
| m |
Parental consent or authorization by a competent judge is required in the case of minors. |
| n |
In case the woman is pregnant or has already given birth to a child at the age of 16, dispensation might be granted from the rule concerning age. |
| o |
No minimum legal age for marriage. The constitution states that men and women of "full age and capacity" shall have the right to marry and find a family. |
| p |
The court may permit the marriage of minors under exceptional circumstances. |
| q |
According to Civil Code. |
| r |
Data is from Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs of Iceland. |
| s |
Marriage for women allowed after puberty, but with parental consent. |
| t |
Legal ages for marriage and authority to grant license varries according to denominations. |
| u |
Requires the written consent of the Minister responsible |
| v |
Females who have reached the age of 16 may marry if prior permission from the Chief Minister of the relevant State has been obtained. For Muslims, females under 16 and males under 18 may marry where the Syariah judge has granted permission. |
| w |
The legal minimum age for marriage varies by State: 26 states set the minimum age for marriage at 16 for men and 14 for women; 5 states establish an age of 16 for both sexes; and one state raised the age to 18 and 16 years, respectively. |
| x |
Special authorization to contract mariage may be grantd to a young man or woman who has not yet reached that age (18) by family court judge competent to perform marriages. |
| y |
For civil marriage only (not customary marriages) |
| z |
Requires parental consent for minors. |
| aa |
Subject to permission from authorities. |
| bb |
Under customary law, the emphasis is on physical maturity rather than on the chronological age, a girl of 14 years of age who has the attributes of a physically 'fit' person may enter into a valid customary marriage. |
| cc |
Requires parental consent when younger than 20 years. |
| dd |
Requires authorization of the appropriate guardianship court. |
| ee |
Requires authorization of local public administration. |
| ff |
Based on the Christian Marriage Act (no minimum age set for customary law). Persons under the age of 21 years are allowed to marry provided parental consent is given. |
| gg |
Requires a Special Marriage Licence from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. |
| hh |
Does not apply to Muslim population. |
| ii |
Marriages according to the Civil Code Code |
| jj |
Marriages according to the Asian Marriages Code |
| kk |
Minimum age with parental consent is 12 for Muslim women or 14 for Hindus; and 16 for Muslim men or 18 for Hindus. |
| ll |
Under extreme situations and sufficient cause both men and women who are over the age of 16 can be married with the permission of the judge. |
| mm |
With parental consent until the age of 21. |
| nn |
The legal minimum age for marriage varies by State. |
| oo |
Under exceptional circumstances, requires the authorization of the Khokim of the district, city, or town. |
| pp |
Based on age of majority. Marriage may not be contracted with a minor, except where such marriage will entail some clear benefit. |
The legal age for marriage shown in the table is the legal minimum age at which marriage can be performed without parental consent. Marriage is defined in terms of the laws of the individual country or area. Exceptions to the legal minimum age are shown as applicable.
