*According to the source, this data was for marriages three years prior to the survey period.
In India, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) and OBCs are officially recognised by the constitution as groups of disadvantaged indigenous people. They are the primary beneficiaries of reservation policies under the constitution. The colloquial terms for SCs and STs are Dalits and Adivasis respectively.
Note: The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years for women and 21 years for men, although there are exceptions under the Muslim and Hindu Marraige Act respectively.
Citation formats
Marriages below legal age among Indian men and women - by social group 2014
This statistic describes the results of a survey among Indian households about the share of marriage below legal age among men and women in **, based on their social group. For instance, illegal marriages among women below 18 years of age belonging to scheduled castes amounted to about ** percent, while for men below 21 years old within the same social group, it was close to ** percent.
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Ministry of Women and Child Development (India). (June 20, 2016). Share of marriages below the legal age among men and women across India in 2013-14, based on social group* [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 31, 2026, from /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/
Ministry of Women and Child Development (India). "Share of marriages below the legal age among men and women across India in 2013-14, based on social group*." Chart. June 20, 2016. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 31, 2026. /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/
Ministry of Women and Child Development (India). (2016). Share of marriages below the legal age among men and women across India in 2013-14, based on social group*. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 31, 2026. /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/
Ministry of Women and Child Development (India). "Share of Marriages below The Legal Age among Men and Women across India in 2013-14, Based on Social Group*." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 20 Jun 2016, /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/
Ministry of Women and Child Development (India), Share of marriages below the legal age among men and women across India in 2013-14, based on social group* ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/ (last visited July 31, 2026)
Share of marriages below the legal age among men and women across India in 2013-14, based on social group* [Graph], Ministry of Women and Child Development (India), June 20, 2016. [Online]. Available: /statistics/678143/marriages-below-legal-age-by-gender-and-social-group-india/
