Child marriage in Bangladesh has fallen over the past six years, but the pace of progress remains far too slow to meet national or global commitments, according to preliminary findings of the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025.

The survey, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics with UNICEF support, shows that 47.2% of girls are married before 18, down from 51.4% in MICS 2019. 
While the reduction marks steady improvement, the fact that nearly half of all girls still marry before adulthood highlights how deeply rooted the practice remains.
Experts warn that early marriage continues to fuel poor health outcomes for young mothers and their children. Girls who marry early face higher risks of anaemia, malnutrition and pregnancy-related complications, while their babies are more likely to be born underweight, fall ill frequently or die before the age of five.
The MICS findings mirror this reality – more than half of pregnancies are affected by anaemia (52.8%), one in six infants are born with low birth weight (16%), and newborn mortality stands at 22 per 1,000 live births. Rising levels of wasting and declining early breastfeeding rates add to the concern.
These indicators, experts say, reinforce that reducing child marriage is central to improving maternal and child health.

Despite persistent challenges, the survey notes significant gains in women’s access to healthcare. Antenatal care coverage has risen to 89.7%, institutional deliveries to 71%, and skilled birth attendance to 77.6%. Stunting among children has also declined from 28% to 24%.
The contrast between expanding health services and the slow decline in child marriage suggests that entrenched social norms and economic pressures are still major obstacles. Development partners stress that stricter enforcement of laws, expanded education opportunities for girls and targeted support for vulnerable families will be key to accelerating progress.