West Bengal records highest child marriages in India at 6.3%, reveals data

The latest statistical report of the Case Registration System (SRS), published this month, has recorded the highest rate of women married before the age of 18. According to the report compiled by the editor -in -chief and census commissioner India, Western Bengal said that 6.3% of women married before the age of 18.

“Among the larger states/UTs, the highest rate of women married before the age of 18 was recorded in Western Bengal (6.3%), then Jharkhand (4.6%), the lowest, in Kerala (0.1%), then with Himachal Pradesh and Harena at 0.4%and 0.6%, respectively.

According to the report, at national level, 2.1% of women married before the age of 18.

Also reading: How does India plan to finish child marriage? | Described

In rural areas, Western Bengal, the most married before the age of 18 (5.8 %), then Jharkhand (5.2 %) recorded. In urban areas, West Bengal was followed by Jammu & Kashmir (3.5%) and Odisha (2.8%) before 18 years (7.6%).

At the national level, the percentage of women married in rural areas before the age of 18 was 2.5% and the figures in urban areas were 1.2% throughout the country. The highest rate of women married in the 18-20 age range was observed in West Bengal (44.9%), then Jharkhand (41.5%) and the lowest Jammu & Kashmir (8.4%).

Interestingly, the SRS data published in May 2025 was the percentage of women before the age of 18, the highest in West Bengal (6.5%), and the number was 2.6%for all India.

In rural areas, the percentage of women married before the age of 18 in the May 2025 SRS report was the highest at 6%in Western Bengal and the percentage of women who married in the state before the age of 18 was fixed to 8.2%for urban areas.

However, the SRS data, published in September 2025, decreased in May 2025, both in the Western Bengal (6.5%to 6.3%) (from 6.5%to 6.3%) (from 2.6%to 2.1%) compared to the data published in May 2025.

The question, which continues to surprise the policy makers and experts in Western Bengal, is that the state records very high events of child marriage, even after ten years of special plans aimed at eliminating child marriage. In 2013, the Western Bengal government launched a conditional cash transfer program, a conditional cash transfer program to improve girls’ status and reduce child marriage.

August 14, 2025 Western Bengal Prime Minister Mamata Bannerjee in Kolkata Kanyashree Dibas (Kanyashree Day) celebrations, the number of beneficiaries in the program has exceeded 93 Lakh, and the utility of the utility will soon be a crore. According to Ms. BANERJEE, the population of the state was brought to the ambige of the population of about 9.3 % and the population of approximately 9.3 %.

The budget, which was discussed by the Western Bengal government on February 12, 2025, stated that 2024-25, 15.75 lakh girls were enrolled in the Kanyashree program for 1000/-and 2.01 lakh daughters for 25,000/-Bibesi. The state government has allocated 593,51 CRORE for the current financial plan.

The state government also allocated LA 11.8 Lakh Crore for gender plans in the 2025-26 budget, which increased by 38% in allocation for gender-specific plans in the last financial year. In spite of these allocations, the percentage of women who are married before the age of 18 in the state continues to be the highest level of the country.

Not only the SRS data, but an article published in the International Journal of Science in 2024, despite a general decrease in children’s marriage throughout the country, especially Bihar (16.7%), West Bengal (15.2%), Uttar Pradesh (12.5%) and Mahashtra (8.2) more than (8.2).

‘The prevalence of the marriage of girls and boys between the state and union regions in India, 1993-2021: A repeated cross-sectional study‘Although some states have achieved dramatic decreases for children’s marriage and child marriage in girls, “other states such as Western Bengal fought”.

Published – 15 September 2025 03:28