Cost of Inaction: Child and adolescent marriage in Nepal

Child marriage in Nepal has a prevalence of 28.8 percent. This paper examines, through estimation, the national economic loss in terms of potential cash flow from the labour market that could have been generated had girls delayed their marriage until the age of 20.

The study focused on educational deprivation and the consequent loss in earnings as a result of child marriage. Coupled with other costs of child marriage in the areas of health, mortality, psychological deprivation, etc. this study finds ample grounds to encourage policy changes to eliminate child marriage.