Child Marriage in Senegal

The prevalence of child marriage in Senegal is 31% before age 18 and 8.5% before age 15. This amounts to 42,905 girls married before age 18 every year, of which 11,764 are married before age 15.

The national prevalence has decreased by 16 percentage points in 20 years and is today below the regional average (42%). However, the rate of child marriage among the poorest quintile (60%) is nearly twice the national average and has seen virtually no progress in the last 20 years. Rates are particularly high in the south-eastern part of the country: Tambacounda (57%), Kaffrine (59%), Kolda (68%) and Kédougou (72%). In these regions, the prevalence has barely changed over the past 30 years.

Child marriage is one of the main causes of girls dropping out of school. Giving girls access to education, and keeping them in school, remains one of the best ways to combat the practice.