Editing Child marriage (section)

===Religion, culture and civil law===
Although the general marriageable age is 18 in the majority of countries, most jurisdictions allow for exceptions for underage youth with parental and/or judicial consent.<ref name="too young"/> Such laws are neither limited to developing countries, nor a state's religion. In some countries, a religious marriage by itself has legal validity, while in others it does not, as [[civil marriage]] is obligatory. For Catholics incorporated into the [[Latin Church]], the [[1983 Code of Canon Law]] sets the minimum age for a valid marriage at 16 for males and 14 for females.<ref name="CIC1983"/>{{rp|at=[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P3Y.HTM c. 1083 §1]}}{{efn|name=CIC}} In 2015, Spain raised its minimum marriageable age to 18 (16 with court consent) from the previous 14.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/3970710/spain-marriage-age-of-consent-europe/|title=Spain marriage age of consent Europe|publisher=time-com|date=24 July 2015}}</ref> In Mexico, marriage under 18 is allowed with parental consent, from age 14 for girls and age 16 for boys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/canada_eng/index.php/marriage-in-mexico |title=Marriage requirements in Mexico |publisher=Embamex.sre.gob.mx |access-date=2015-02-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218215805/http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/canada_eng/index.php/marriage-in-mexico |archive-date=2015-02-18 }}</ref> In Ukraine, in 2012, the Family Code was amended to equalize the marriageable age for girls and boys to 18, with courts being allowed to grant permission to marry from 16 years of age if it is established that the marriage is in the best interest of the youth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Child Marriage in Ukraine (Summary) |url=https://eeca.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/unfpa%20ukraine%20summary.pdf |access-date=October 1, 2023 |website=UNFPA}}</ref>

Many states in the US permit child marriages [[Marriageable age#Americas|with the court's permission]]. Since 2015, the minimum marriageable age throughout Canada is 16. In Canada, the [[age of majority]] is set by province/territory at 18 or 19, so minors under this age have additional restrictions (i.e. parental and court consent). Under the Criminal Code, Art. 293.2 Marriage under the age of 16 years reads: "Everyone who celebrates, aids or participates in a marriage rite or ceremony knowing that one of the persons being married is under the age of 16 years is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years."<ref name="laws-lois.justice.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-160.html#docCont|title=Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Criminal Code|publisher=Legislative Services Branch|website=laws-lois.justice.gc.ca|access-date=2018-03-03}}</ref> The Civil Marriage Act also states: "2.2 No person who is under the age of 16 years may contract marriage."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-31.5/page-1.html|title=Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Civil Marriage Act|publisher=Legislative Services Branch|website=laws-lois.justice.gc.ca|access-date=2018-03-03|date=18 June 2015}}</ref> In the UK, marriage is allowed for 16–17 years old with parental consent in [[England and Wales]] as well as in [[Northern Ireland]], and even without parental consent in [[Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/overview |title=Marriages and civil partnerships in the UK |publisher=GOV.UK |date=16 December 2014 |access-date=2015-02-18}}</ref> However, a marriage of a person under 16 is [[void marriage|void]] under the [[Matrimonial Causes Act 1973]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/18 |title=Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2015-02-18}}</ref> The [[United Nations Population Fund]] stated the following:<ref name="too young"/>

{{blockquote|In 2010, 158 countries reported that 18 years was the minimum legal age for marriage for women without parental consent or approval by a pertinent authority. However, in 146 countries, state or customary law allows girls younger than 18 to marry with the consent of parents or other authorities; in 52 countries, girls under age 15 can marry with parental consent. In contrast, 18 is the legal age for marriage without consent among males in 180 countries. Additionally, in 105 countries, boys can marry with the consent of a parent or a pertinent authority, and in 23 countries, boys under age 15 can marry with parental consent.}}

A lower legally allowed marriage age does not necessarily cause high rates of child marriages. However, there is a correlation between restrictions placed by laws and the average age of first marriage. In the United States, per [[1960 United States census|1960 census]] data, 3.5% of girls married before the age of 16, while an additional 11.9% married between 16 and 18. States with lower marriage age limits saw higher percentages of child marriages.<ref name=ncbi/> This correlation between the higher age of marriage in civil law and the observed frequency of child marriages breaks down in countries with Islam as the state religion. In Islamic nations, many countries do not allow child marriage of girls under their civil code of laws, but the state-recognized Sharia religious laws and courts in all these nations have the power to override the civil code, and often do. [[UNICEF]] reports that the top eight nations in the world with the highest observed child marriage rates are Niger (75%), Chad (72%), Mali (71%), Bangladesh (64%), Guinea (63%), Central African Republic (61%), Mozambique (56%), and Nepal (51%).<ref name=unicef12a>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/docs/SOWC09-CountryExample-Mali.pdf|title=Child Marriage is a Death Sentence for Many Young Girls|publisher=UNICEF|year=2012|access-date=11 August 2013|archive-date=13 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113035429/https://www.unicef.org/sowc09/docs/SOWC09-CountryExample-Mali.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>