Over 45 percent decline in child brides in Turkey

By Aysenur Saglam

ANKARA (AA) - The number of child brides in Turkey has declined by 45.5 percent in the last 10 years, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The decline in child marriages was prominent in the 16 to 17 age group.

In 2016, Turkey’s under 17 age group was estimated at 22.9 million, making it 28.7 percent of the total population, TurkStat data said.

Girls married earlier than boys which led to 21 times more child brides than child grooms in the country.

While the number of boys getting married was 2,279 in 2007, this figure decreased by 42 percent to 1,319 in 2016; the number of child brides declined by 45.5 percent from 50,723 to 27,637 over the same period.

The percentage of child brides among national official marriages declined by 7.9 percent in 2007 to 4.6 percent in 2016, while the number of child grooms reduced from 0.4 percent to 0.2 percent.

The highest proportion of child brides in official marriages was seen in eastern Agri province with 15.7 percent (733 marriages).

Other provinces with high proportions of child brides were seen in eastern Mus province with 14.9 percent, southern Kilis province with 14.3 percent and eastern Bitlis province with 14.2. percent.

Northern Trabzon with 1.3 percent and northwestern city of Karabuk with 1.5 percent are amongst the lowest provinces with child brides.

Istanbul with 1.8 percent, Izmir with 2.5 percent and Ankara with 3 percent are amongst the cities where the ratio of child brides is low while Kahramanmaras with 11.2 percent and Gaziantep with 11 percent among the cities with a high ratio.