Child Marriage: Even in 2025, child marriage remains one of the biggest human rights challenges worldwide. Although many countries have taken strict legal and social steps to end the practice, millions of children are still married before the age of 18. Let us know which is the country where child marriages take place the most in the world.

Where in the world do most child marriages take place?

According to the new data of 2025, the highest number of child marriages take place in Niger. About 76% of girls in Niger get married before the age of 18 and about 28% get married before the age of 15. The situation is even more worrying in some places like Maradi. The rate of child marriage here has reached 89%. The legal framework here is behind this crisis. Here the minimum age of marriage for boys is 18 years and the legal age of marriage for girls is only 15 years.

Why are there so many child marriages here?

Extreme poverty plays a large role in maintaining child marriage in Niger and other African countries like it. Families struggling to make ends meet often see early marriage as a way to reduce financial burdens or receive dowry-related benefits. Limited access to education is exacerbating this problem. Because girls who drop out of school are more likely to get married early.

Where else do child marriages take place except Niger?

After Niger, countries like the Central African Republic, Chad and Mali have some of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Rates have been reported to be around 68% in the Central African Republic, 67% in Chad and 54% in Mali.

What is the situation in India?

Whereas Niger is at the forefront in terms of percentage, India has a different and equally disturbing record. Due to such a large population, India has the highest number of child brides in the world. By 2025, an estimated 22.24 crore women in India were married before the age of 18. In simple words, one out of every three child brides across the world lives in India.

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The family of Ranjit Singh, an Indian citizen who was abducted in Doso in Niger, a country of West Africa, has demanded from the Government of India to return home. The family has appealed to the government to bring his son back home as soon as possible and safe.

It is noteworthy that the missing Ranjit Singh was a resident of Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir. He was abducted in Niger when Ranjit Singh was working at a construction site in a country in West Africa. During this time some unknown gunmen attacked Ranjit. Two other Indians died in this attack, while Ranjit Singh was abducted.

At the same time, there is a lot of trouble in the family of Ranjit Singh in the far-flung Kundi village of Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir about his security and homecoming. The family is immersed in worrying due to no information about Ranjit’s whereabouts.

Appeal to missing Ranjit Singh’s father PM Modi

Meanwhile, Ranjit Singh’s father Mohan Lal Sen has appealed to the Government of India. He appealed and said, “They should take some steps immediately to ensure his son’s release. We are worried about his well being and security.”

In an interview to news agency ANI, Ranjit Singh’s father Mohan Lal Sen said, “We want to say to PM Modi to take some concrete action soon and soon. The Government of India should work to bring him back safely. We are very upset for the last 5-6 days. He is very upset for the last 5-6 days. He has small children. We are very worried about him.

Mother Sadhu Devi sitting waiting for the safe return of son Ranjit

At the same time, Ranjit Singh’s mother Sadhu Devi looked very sad after this incident. He has neither eaten food with his son since the incident happened nor has he slept properly. She wants to see her son back in her house. Sadhu Devi told ANI, “Please bring my son back. I want him back safely. I have not been able to sleep for many nights, have not eaten anything. When will my son come back?”

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Two Indians were killed and one has been abducted in a terrorist attack in southwest Niger, the Indian embassy gave this information. The embassy posted on social media on Friday (July 18, 2025), “Two Indian citizens died tragically and one was abducted in a heinous terrorist attack on July 15 in Niger’s Doso region.”

According to local media, an army contingent protecting an construction site in Doso, about 130 km from the capital Niyam, was attacked by unknown gunmen. In this, the Indian working there was shot, which led to this accident.

Indians advise to be vigilant in West African country

The Indian mission said that it is working closely with the local administration to send the body of those killed. The embassy is also working to ‘ensure’ safe release ‘of Indian. The mission has advised Indians to be vigilant in the West African country.

Identification of Indians who die and kidnap

One of the slain Indian people is the first of 39 -year -old laborers of Bokaro district of Jharkhand as Ganesh Karmali, while the second laborer Krishnan was a resident of South India. At the same time, Kidnap has been described as Ranjit Singh, a resident of Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Embassy has appealed to all Indians living in Niger to be vigilant.

According to sources, Ganesh Karmali was working on a transmission line in Doso city, when there was a firing between the police and the militant group, in which Karmali was shot and died. His family says that brother -in -law Premlal Karmali was also working on the same site and he too has been injured by bullet.

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