Marriageable age

Table columns:
Country
Male consent
Female consent
Notes

Table rows:
cells: Afghanistan
18
16
15 for females with the consent of the father or with judicial approval. Under the Civil Code, Article 70 sets the marriageable age at 18 for males and 16 for females. However, Article 71 creates an exception to the above, stating: "(1) Where the girl does not complete the age provided under Article 70 of this law, the marriage may be concluded only through her father or the competent court. (2) The marriage of a minor girl whose age is less then [sic] 15 shall never be permissible."[117] In practice, however, marriage often occurs at much younger ages, as different ethnic groups in Afghanistan have various traditions, many accepting marriage at young ages.[118]
cells: Bangladesh
21
18 (under 18 for special cases, with parental consent and permission of court)
Bangladeshi law provides penal sanctions for the contraction of under-age marriages, although such unions are not considered invalid.[119] Despite the law, child marriage rates in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world. Every 2 out of 3 marriages involve child marriages.[120]
cells: Bhutan
18
18
[121]
cells: Brunei
18
18
Minimum legal age for marriage without parental consent varies across states/provinces, ethnic groups, religious groups or forms of marriage.[122]
cells: Cambodia
18
18
[123]
cells: China
22
20
China is the only country to have the highest set marriageable age for men.[124]
cells: Hong Kong
21
21
16 with parental consent.[125][126]
cells: India
21
18
If any partner(s) engages in marriage at a younger age, (s)he can ask for the marriage to be declared void. A recent recommendation by the Law Commission aims to equalize the marriage age for males and females to 16.[127] Official policy automatically declares marriages under 15 as "null and void", while marriages at the age of 14 or 15 are "voidable". In 2012, the high court declared that Muslim women can marry at 15.[127] Additionally, the report declares that "In spite of these legal provisions, child marriage is still widely practiced and a marriage solemnized in contravention of these provisions is not void even under the new PCMA, 1929, the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and also under the Muslim Law."[127]
cells: Indonesia
18
16
Marriage at younger ages is legal with parental consent and judicial approval.[128]
cells: Iran
18
15
15 for males and 13 for females with parental consent and judicial approval.[129][130]
cells: Iraq
18
18
15 with judicial permission if fitness, physical capacity and guardian's consent (or unreasonable objection on part of guardian) are established. (These rules may have been revised after Saddam Hussein's fall.[citation needed])[131]
cells: Israel
18
18
Minimum marriageable age increased from 17 to 18 in November 2013. Family courts able to recognise marriage for 16 and above in special cases.[132]
cells: Japan
20
20
18 for males and 16 for females with parental consent.[133]
cells: Jordan
18
18
[134]
cells: Kazakhstan
18
17
16 with parental consent.[135]
cells: South Korea
19
19
18 with parental consent
cells: Kuwait
17
15
[136]
cells: Kyrgyzstan
18
18
Local self-government agencies may, at the request of the parties entering the marriage, provided that justifiable reasons exist, lower the marriage age. The marriage age may not be lowered by more than 1 year.[137]
cells: Laos
18
18
15 with parental consent.[138]
cells: Lebanon
18
17
15, or 9 with judicial permission for Shi'a.[citation needed] 18 or 17 and 16 or 15 with judicial permission for Druze.[139]
cells: Macau
22
20
20 for males and 18 for females with parental consent.
cells: Malaysia
21
21
18 with parental consent. Muslim girls under 16 can marry with the permission of sharia authorities.[140]
cells: Maldives
18
18
According to custom, the minimum age for marriage is 15. The Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child discourages marriage before the age of 16.[141]
cells: Myanmar
20
20
14 with parental consent females.[142]
cells: Nepal
20
20
18 with parental consent.[143]
cells: North Korea
18
17
[144]
cells: Oman
18
18
While the legal minimum age is 18, "custom still recognises marriages below the age of 18".[145]
cells: Pakistan
18
16 in most provinces 18 in some provinces, including Punjab and Sindh[146][147]
Despite the law[148] against child marriage, the practice is widespread. According to two 2013 reports, nearly 50% of all marriages in Pakistan involve girls less than 18 years old.[149][150] However, in Punjab and Sindh, severe punishments are given for marriages before the age of 18.[151][152]
cells: Palestine
16
15
With parental consent.
cells: Mongolia
18
18
[153]
cells: Philippines
21
21
18 with parent consent.[154]
cells: Qatar
18
16
Under with parental consent. No minimum age for marriage with parental consent, and permitted only when in conformity with religious and cultural norms and with permission of a competent court.[155]
cells: Russia
18
18
16 in special circumstances; may vary in different regions.
cells: Saudi Arabia
None
None
[156]
cells: Singapore
21
21
18 with parental consent; below 18 with special marriage license.
cells: Sri Lanka
18
18
However, the parties must have a Qadi's permission to marry before contracting into marriage if they are Muslims.[157]
cells: Syria
18
18
Thomson Reuters Foundation notes that child marriage occurs from 13 years.[158]
cells: Republic of China（Taiwan）
20
20
18 for males and 16 for females with statutory agent's consent.[159][160]
cells: Tajikistan
18
18
17 with parental consent.[161]
cells: Thailand
20
20
17 with parental consent.[162]
cells: Timor-Leste
17
17
16 with parental consent.[163]
cells: Turkmenistan
16
16
[164]
cells: United Arab Emirates
18
18
While UAE is based on Sharia law, a minimum age for marriage exists.[165]
cells: Uzbekistan
18
17
[166]
cells: Vietnam
20
18
[167]
cells: Yemen
15
15
HRW notes no legal minimum age for marriage under Sharia law, and UNSD notes that child marriage is permitted where "such marriage will entail some clear benefit."[168]

Questions about this table:
originalText: legal age for marriage for girl in india
answer: answerTexts: 18