Bengal recorded the country’s highest proportion of girls marrying before 18 years at 6.3%, followed by Jharkhand at 4.9%. Chhattisgarh was also identified among states where a considerable proportion of girls (2.9%) continue to marry before adulthood. In rural India, 2.4% of girls married before turning 18, compared to 1.1% in urban areas.Among rural regions, Bengal reported the highest share of child marriages at 5.9%, followed by Jharkhand (5.8%). Bengal was also at the top for child marriages in urban areas at 7.6%, far above the urban national average of 1.1%. Delhi reported zero child marriage in the survey, while Kerala recorded one of the lowest rates at 0.04%.Haryana and Himachal also reported very low figures. The report showed the average age of marriage for women in India now stood at 23.1 years. Public health experts say early marriage is closely linked with school dropout, early pregnancy, higher maternal health risks and lower workforce participation among women.
