>>13651524
Child marriage in Iran is legal and widespread, with girls permitted to marry as young as 13 years old or even as young as 8 years and 9 months (9 lunar years) with parental and judicial permission. Although the legal age of marriage was set at 18 before the 1979 Revolution, current laws allow marriage for girls under 18 if a guardian (father or paternal grandfather) and a judge deem it to be in the child's "best interest."
Statistics indicate a rising trend, with government data reporting over 135,000 registered marriages involving brides under 18 in 2023 alone, while experts estimate the actual number of child marriages to be significantly higher due to unregistered unions. In 2021, a record 9,753 girls aged 10 to 14 were officially married in a single quarter, and approximately 1,390 girls under 15 gave birth that same year.
The practice is driven by poverty, patriarchal norms, and government policies promoting population growth, with higher rates observed in rural and border provinces such as Sistan and Baluchistan. These marriages often result in interrupted education, severe health risks from early pregnancy, and increased vulnerability to domestic abuse and suicide, with many victims facing state-sanctioned violence or lack of legal recourse.
https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/regions-and-countries/iran/
