In 2024, 4.7 million babies were born to girls under the age of 18 (3.5% of the total number of children in the world), as well as about 340 thousand – to girls who have not yet turned 15. Such data are contained in the report “World Population Prospects” (World Population Prospects) 2024, published by the United Nations.
According to the UN, investing in the education of young people, especially girls, as well as raising the marriage age in countries where early marriage and childbearing are common, will have a positive impact on women’s health, their educational training and participation in the workforce.
The report also notes that women now give birth to one less child on average than in 1990. In most countries and regions of the world, the birth rate is below what is necessary to maintain a stable population in the long term without migration.
The UN also predicts that the world population may reach its peak in the 21st century, after which it will begin to decline. At the same time, the number of women aged 15-49 may increase from almost 2 billion in 2024 to about 2.2 billion in the late 2050s. According to analysts, this will contribute to the further growth of the population, even if the number of births per woman decreases to the level of reproduction of the population.
It should be noted that as of 2023, there are approximately 640 million women and girls in the world who were married off as children.
Interesting Facts:
Teenage motherhood is a significant problem in many countries, especially in Africa and South Asia. In some countries, more than 20% of girls become mothers before the age of 18.
Research shows that every additional year of education for girls can increase their future earnings by 10-20%. It also reduces the likelihood of early motherhood.
Early pregnancies increase the risk of complications during and after childbirth for both mother and child. According to WHO, children born to teenage mothers are at higher risk of prematurity and low birth weight.
Many countries are implementing policies to raise the age of marriage and increase access to education and health care for girls. For example, India raised the minimum marriage age for girls from 18 to 21 in 2021.
There are numerous international initiatives aimed at combating child marriage and supporting education for girls. Among them is the UN program “Girls Not Brides”, which unites more than 1500 organizations from all over the world.
