UNESCO gender report says the share of girls married before 18 fell from 25 to 18 per cent, but early marriage still blocks schooling

15 October 2026

UNESCO has released its 2026 Global Education Monitoring Gender Report, ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October.
The share of girls married before 18 fell globally from 25 per cent in 2000 to 18 per cent in 2025, but it remains 25 per cent in Central and Southern Asia and 31 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2024 an estimated 6 million pregnant girls and young mothers aged 10 to 19 were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, and fewer than 5 per cent of pregnant and parenting girls in the region return to school.
In India, 59 girls complete upper secondary education per 100 boys in rural areas, while urban areas have achieved parity.
The report finds 58 per cent of countries guarantee the right to education without sex or gender based discrimination and 35 per cent explicitly protect the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls.