More than 2,000 underage marriages under 14 have been reported in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran, from March 2017 to March 2018. General Director of Khuzestan’s Provincial Registry announced that 23 underage marriages in the age group of 11 year olds, 105 marriages in the age group of 12 year olds, 749 marriages in the age group of 13 year olds, and 1,373 marriages in the age group of 14 year olds had been recorded in the Persian year 1396 (March 2017-March 2018).
Behnam Moridi, General Director of Khuzestan’s Provincial Registry, said, “Last year, two underage marriages under 10 years of age were registered in the cities of Shadegan and Khorramshahr.”
According to published statistics, over 95,000 divorces among women under the age of 19 were recorded between 2011 and 2015, of which about 5,760 were related to underage marriages of teenagers less than 15 years old. (The state-run ILNA news agency – September 11, 2018)
Earlier, an expert on family affairs had revealed that underage marriages of 344 girl children under 14 and four under 10 had been registered in the Persian year 1396, in Alborz Province. In 1395, the number of U14 girl children given into underage marriages were registered as 453. According to this expert, this figure is alarming when compared to the total population in Alborz Province and the number of marriages that are registered every year. (The state-run ISNA news agency – September 8, 2018)
According to another report, the Razavi Khorasan Province with 6,000 underage marriages in the Persian year 1395 (March 2016-March 2017) ranks first in the country. East Azerbaijan province with more than 4,000 underage marriages and Sistan and Baluchestan Province with some 2,500 underage marriages rank second and third for marriages of girls between 10 and 14 years of age. (The state-run Salamatnews.com, September 13, 2018)
Some experts say, 180,000 marriages under 18 years of age occur annually in Iran, accounting for 24 percent of all marriages.
A social expert revealed that 41,000 early marriages under the age of 15 take place in Iran every year.
