Child marriage in India sees decline to 20.1%, NFHS-6 data shows
Two-year campaign records 6.85 lakh awareness programmes, 42 lakh pledges and 4,536 child marriage incidents on its portal; Centre targets child-marriage-free India by 2030
Babushahi Bureau/PIB
New Delhi, November 7, 2026: The prevalence of child marriage in India has declined from 23.3 per cent to 20.1 per cent, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), 2023-24, as the Centre continues its efforts to eliminate the practice through legal safeguards, awareness campaigns and community participation.
Highlighting the progress of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) campaign, launched on November 27, 2024, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said that 6.85 lakh awareness programmes had been conducted across the country, reaching 12.47 crore participants. The campaign has also registered 42.01 lakh pledges towards making India free of child marriage.
The campaign, which completes two years on November 27, aims to eliminate child marriage by 2030, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 5.3.
According to the government, the decline in child marriage prevalence represents a reduction of 3.2 percentage points between NFHS-5 (2019-21) and NFHS-6 (2023-24). The figures refer to women aged 20-24 years who were married before attaining 18 years of age.
4,536 Child Marriage Incidents Recorded on Portal
The government has developed a dedicated digital platform, the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Portal (stopchildmarriage.wcd.gov.in), to strengthen reporting, monitoring and preventive action.
According to the Ministry, 4,536 child marriage incidents have been recorded on the portal. It also provides public access to details of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), facilitates reporting of incidents and enables authorities to monitor awareness and community mobilisation activities.
The portal reflects 71,882 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, including 59,686 designated at the Gram Panchayat level, strengthening the institutional mechanism for prevention at the grassroots.
The pledge initiative has registered 42.01 lakh commitments, including 40.96 lakh through the BVMB Portal and 1.05 lakh through MyGov.
257 High-Burden Districts Identified
The Ministry has prioritised 257 high-burden districts identified through NFHS-5 data, where child marriage prevalence was at or above the national average.
The campaign brings together government institutions, State and Union Territory administrations, local bodies, educational institutions, frontline workers, civil society organisations, religious leaders, youth and citizens to strengthen prevention efforts.
The government is also focusing on improving public access to Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, encouraging reporting of incidents and supporting girls at risk.
What Does the Law Say About Child Marriage?
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, provides the legal framework for preventing and addressing child marriage in India.
Under the Act, a male below 21 years and a female below 18 years are considered children. A marriage in which either party is a child is classified as child marriage.
Such marriages are generally voidable at the option of the party who was a child at the time of marriage. They are void in specified circumstances, including cases involving trafficking, force, deceit or exploitation.
The Act provides for punishment of up to two years of rigorous imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh for specified offences. It also provides for maintenance, residence and custody arrangements for victims and safeguards the legitimacy of children born from such marriages.
Child Marriage Prohibition Officers are responsible for preventing child marriages, collecting evidence for prosecution, counselling individuals and communities, generating awareness and coordinating preventive interventions.
The Supreme Court, in its October 18, 2024, judgment in Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action v. Union of India, also laid down a comprehensive framework for strengthening prevention mechanisms, including dedicated officers, coordination systems, awareness campaigns and technology-enabled reporting.
100-Day Awareness Campaign Reached Schools, Religious Institutions and Local Bodies
To intensify efforts during its first year, the Ministry launched a 100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign on December 4, 2025, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Implemented from November 27, 2025, to March 8, 2026, the initiative was conducted in three phases.
The first phase, from November 27 to December 31, 2025, focused on schools, colleges and universities through awareness sessions, debates, essay competitions and pledge ceremonies.
The second phase, from January 1 to 31, 2026, involved religious institutions, faith leaders, community influencers and marriage-related service providers, including caterers, tent houses and DJs.
The third phase, from February 1 to March 8, 2026, focused on Gram Panchayats and municipal wards, encouraging local communities to adopt resolutions declaring their respective jurisdictions child-marriage-free.
States Record Decline in Child Marriage Prevalence
The NFHS-6 data indicates that most States and Union Territories have recorded a decline in child marriage prevalence compared with NFHS-5.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu registered the largest reduction of 10.1 percentage points, followed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (7.4 percentage points), Assam (6.5 percentage points), Bihar (6.2 percentage points) and Tripura (6.1 percentage points).
According to the government, 28 States and Union Territories are performing better than the national average, with Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Kerala among those below the national prevalence figure.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Linked to Prevention Efforts
The government is also linking child marriage prevention with the objectives of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative, launched on January 22, 2015.
The programme focuses on the survival, protection and education of the girl child through awareness generation, community mobilisation and behavioural change.
Promoting girls’ education, addressing school dropouts and challenging discriminatory social practices are among the measures aimed at delaying marriage and expanding opportunities for adolescent girls.
The Ministry said the continuing focus under Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat would be on strengthening the appointment and functioning of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, improving portal data, expanding awareness activities and ensuring timely reporting and preventive intervention.
With the national target of eliminating child marriage by 2030, the government has called for sustained participation from families, educational institutions, Panchayats, religious leaders, youth and civil society organisations.