Patterns and Determinants of Age at First Marriage of Women

This study explores the patterns and determinants of age at first marriage of girls in Nepal. Empirical analyses of data show three main patterns of age at marriage of women. First, early marriage especially pre-pubertal marriage of girls is declining in Nepal with a gradual increase in marriage age. Despite this decline, some of the Terai caste groups in particular, still marry their daughters before their fifteenth birthday. Second, the majority of girls among Terai caste and ethnic groups, Muslims and Hills lower-castes are still married between 15 and 17 years of age, that is, below 18, the legal age at marriage, which reveals the persistence of early marriage among these groups. Third, marriage is still universal and mandatory among women in Nepal, most of which occur between ages 15 and 24. Bivariate and multivariate analyses reveal that age of girls, rural-urban place of residence, education of girls and their mothers, age at menarche, caste/ethnicity and religion, and dowry were significantly associated with age at marriage. The prevalence of dowry among the Terai caste groups, compounded with socio-cultural factors has a strong influence on the marriage timing of girls.