Child marriage—marriage in which one or both spouses are under the age of 18—is a serious issue in Indonesia. Though some progress has been made, it remains a significant concern for girls’ rights, education, health, and social welfare.

Prevalence and Recent Trends

According to Indonesia’s 2018 Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas), about 1.2 million young women aged 20-24 had been married before age 18. This corresponds to roughly one in nine girls in that age group.

By 2023, the child marriage rate in Indonesia was about 9.23% of marriages involving females—meaning approximately 163,371 child marriage incidents recorded in that year. The government aims to reduce this rate to 8.74% in 2024 and further to 6.94% by 2030. 

Drivers and Contributing Factors

Several interrelated factors contribute to child marriage in Indonesia:

1. Cultural and religious norms: Social expectations and traditions in many communities support early marriage for girls. Sometimes early marriage is viewed as a safeguard for moral or religious virtue.

2. Education levels: Lower school attainment, especially among girls, is associated with higher likelihood of child marriage. Girls who drop out of school early are more vulnerable.

3. Economic hardship: Poverty is a key driver. Some families see early marriage as a way to reduce financial burden, or are more likely to approve dispensation for marriage when income is low. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic stress, which increased instances of child marriage in some areas.

4. Legal loopholes / dispensations: Although Indonesia raised the legal minimum marriage age to 19 for both girls and boys in 2019, the law allows for judicial dispensations. Courts or religious courts can grant permission for under-age marriage under certain circumstances. These dispensations continue to enable child marriages.

Impacts of Child Marriage

Child marriage has wide-ranging negative effects:

• Health risks: Girls who marry early are more at risk of early pregnancy, maternal morbidity and mortality, obstetric complications, and health issues for both mother and child.

• Educational disruption: Early marriage often leads to school dropout, limiting future opportunities for employment and personal development.

• Psychological and social harm: Married children may face increased risk of domestic violence, mental health challenges such as depression or anxiety, lower self-agency, and diminished capacity to participate in decision-making.

• Economic consequences: Marrying early often limits women’s ability to gain stable income, exacerbates intergenerational poverty, and negatively impacts human development indicators. Studies show negative correlation between early marriage and the Human Development Index (HDI) in various Indonesian regions.

Legal Framework & Policy Measures

• Law No. 16 of 2019 amended Indonesia’s Marriage Law (original Law No. 1/1974), standardizing the legal minimum age for marriage to 19 for both genders. This replaced the previous lower age for girls (16).

• National Strategy on the Prevention of Child Marriage: Launched in 2020, involving government ministries, NGOs, religious groups and development partners, aimed at reducing child marriage prevalence through multidimensional efforts (education, health, legal enforcement, community engagement).

• Government targets: As mentioned, the goal is to reduce child marriage to 8.74% by 2024 and 6.94% by 2030. Programs like BRUS (Pembinaan Remaja Usia Sekolah / Guidance for School-Age Adolescents) are used to increase awareness around family planning, sexual and reproductive health among adolescents.

Challenges & Gaps

• Dispensation loopholes remain a major issue: Court-based dispensation still allows many under-age marriages.

• Enforcement and social norms: Even with law changes, social practices, religious interpretations, and family expectations often persist. Education and awareness are uneven, especially in rural and remote areas.

• Pandemic effects: COVID-19 disturbed education, increased economic hardship, and in many places led to increased child marriage rates.

Conclusion

Child marriage in Indonesia remains a critical problem with deep roots in poverty, tradition, and legal complexities. While legal reforms—such as raising the minimum marriage age to 19 for both genders—and national strategies show promise, the problem persists through judicial dispensations, weak enforcement, and socially accepted norms. To meet national and SDG targets, Indonesia will need a sustained multi-sectoral approach: strengthening education for girls, ensuring exception-proof legal reform, community and religious leader engagement, economic support to vulnerable families, and monitoring/ evaluation of programs.

References:

1. “The Phenomenon of Child Marriage in the Pandemic Based on Legal, Social and Health Studies,” Rosnida Sari et al., Indonesian Journal of Law and Society. Indonesian Journal of Law and Society

2. “Child Marriage in Indonesia,” UNICEF Indonesia (Susenas 2018), National Strategy on Prevention of Child Marriage. UNICEF+2UNFPA Indonesia+2

3. “One in Nine Females Face Child Marriage in Indonesia,” Jakarta Globe / Asia-Pacific Solidarity Network, 2024. Asia-Pacific Solidarity

4. “UNICEF welcomes recent amendment of Indonesia’s Marriage Act,” September 2019. UNICEF

5. “The Impact Law Number 16 of 2019 about Marriage Age Dispensation on The Child Marriage Gap,” Amrin Nurfieni Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah, Indonesian Journal of Law and Islamic Law (IJLIL). Indonesian Journal of Law

6. “Child Marriage Acceptability Index … in South and Central Sulawesi, Indonesia,” Global Health Research and Policy. BioMed Central

7. “Trends and Impacts of Child Marriage in a Psychological Perspective (Case Study in Tuban Regency),” Siti Fatimah, Al Hakam. Al Hikmah Journal