WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Under what circumstances can 15-year-old boys be married?

This map tells us the circumstances in which 15-year-old boys can legally be married.

Map reflects laws in place as of January 1st, 2019.

No restrictions means that there are no legal restrictions on boys marrying at age 15.

Parental consent and/or under religious or customary law means that boys may be married at age 15 with parental permission and/or under religious or customary law. We do not consider that these requirements are protective of at-risk children.

Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy means boys may be married at age 15 only with approval that is likely to be more protective (such as court or social welfare center approval), or when there is a pregnancy or birth of a child.

Marriage legally prohibited means that there are no circumstances in which a 15-year-old boy can legally be married.

Countries

Iran - No restrictions

Yemen - No restrictions

Lebanon - No restrictions

Saudi Arabia - No restrictions

Djibouti - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

South Africa - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Solomon Islands - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Malaysia - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Zimbabwe - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Sierra Leone - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Eritrea - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Antigua and Barbuda - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

The Gambia - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Palau - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Bahamas - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Sri Lanka - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Sudan - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Brunei - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Zambia - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Canada - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Uganda - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Colombia - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Nigeria - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Tonga - Can marry with parental consent and/or under religious or customary law

Maldives - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Libya - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Luxembourg - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Madagascar - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Bangladesh - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Albania - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Mexico - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Laos - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Liechtenstein - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Lithuania - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Morocco - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Mali - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

- Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Oman - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Andorra - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Venezuela - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

United States of America - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Algeria - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Tunisia - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Thailand - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Tanzania - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Suriname - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Argentina - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Somalia - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Slovenia - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Singapore - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Jordan - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Senegal - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Qatar - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Belarus - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Burundi - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Iceland - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Haiti - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Guyana - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Benin - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Republic of the Congo - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Belgium - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Brazil - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Estonia - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Dominican Republic - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Cote d'Ivoire - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Finland - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Gabon - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Central African Republic - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

France - Only permitted with court approval and/or pregnancy

Denmark - Marriage legally prohibited

Spain - Marriage legally prohibited

St. Lucia - Marriage legally prohibited

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Marriage legally prohibited

Czech Republic - Marriage legally prohibited

Japan - Marriage legally prohibited

South Sudan - Marriage legally prohibited

Dominica - Marriage legally prohibited

Ecuador - Marriage legally prohibited

Cuba - Marriage legally prohibited

Egypt - Marriage legally prohibited

Slovakia - Marriage legally prohibited

El Salvador - Marriage legally prohibited

Serbia - Marriage legally prohibited

Fiji - Marriage legally prohibited

Sao Tome and Principe - Marriage legally prohibited

San Marino - Marriage legally prohibited

Cyprus - Marriage legally prohibited

Tajikistan - Marriage legally prohibited

Angola - Marriage legally prohibited

China - Marriage legally prohibited

Burkina Faso - Marriage legally prohibited

Cabo Verde - Marriage legally prohibited

Vietnam - Marriage legally prohibited

Vanuatu - Marriage legally prohibited

Uzbekistan - Marriage legally prohibited

Uruguay - Marriage legally prohibited

Bulgaria - Marriage legally prohibited

United Kingdom - Marriage legally prohibited

Chile - Marriage legally prohibited

Ukraine - Marriage legally prohibited

Tuvalu - Marriage legally prohibited

Sweden - Marriage legally prohibited

Turkmenistan - Marriage legally prohibited

Turkey - Marriage legally prohibited

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Marriage legally prohibited

Trinidad and Tobago - Marriage legally prohibited

Togo - Marriage legally prohibited

Timor-Leste - Marriage legally prohibited

Costa Rica - Marriage legally prohibited

Rwanda - Marriage legally prohibited

Croatia - Marriage legally prohibited

Switzerland - Marriage legally prohibited

Samoa - Marriage legally prohibited

Portugal - Marriage legally prohibited

Russian Federation - Marriage legally prohibited

Belize - Marriage legally prohibited

Guatemala - Marriage legally prohibited

Mauritius - Marriage legally prohibited

Cambodia - Marriage legally prohibited

Bhutan - Marriage legally prohibited

Malta - Marriage legally prohibited

Malawi - Marriage legally prohibited

Honduras - Marriage legally prohibited

North Macedonia - Marriage legally prohibited

Hungary - Marriage legally prohibited

India - Marriage legally prohibited

Barbados - Marriage legally prohibited

Moldova - Marriage legally prohibited

Ireland - Marriage legally prohibited

Latvia - Marriage legally prohibited

Israel - Marriage legally prohibited

Italy - Marriage legally prohibited

Kuwait - Marriage legally prohibited

Republic of Korea - Marriage legally prohibited

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Marriage legally prohibited

Kiribati - Marriage legally prohibited

Kenya - Marriage legally prohibited

Kazakhstan - Marriage legally prohibited

Grenada - Marriage legally prohibited

Monaco - Marriage legally prohibited

Romania - Marriage legally prohibited

Ghana - Marriage legally prohibited

Jamaica - Marriage legally prohibited

Poland - Marriage legally prohibited

Peru - Marriage legally prohibited

Paraguay - Marriage legally prohibited

Armenia - Marriage legally prohibited

Panama - Marriage legally prohibited

Georgia - Marriage legally prohibited

Pakistan - Marriage legally prohibited

Germany - Marriage legally prohibited

Norway - Marriage legally prohibited

Australia - Marriage legally prohibited

Mongolia - Marriage legally prohibited

Nicaragua - Marriage legally prohibited

New Zealand - Marriage legally prohibited

The Netherlands - Marriage legally prohibited

Austria - Marriage legally prohibited

Nauru - Marriage legally prohibited

Azerbaijan - Marriage legally prohibited

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Marriage legally prohibited

Mozambique - Marriage legally prohibited

Bolivia - Marriage legally prohibited

Montenegro - Marriage legally prohibited

Mauritania - Marriage legally prohibited