Brazil faces high rates of child marriage as UNFPA launches new campaign

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched the ‘Casamento é Coisa de Adulto’ (Marriage is an Adult Matter) campaign to combat the normalization of child and adolescent unions in Brazil. Brazil holds the highest absolute number of unions involving individuals under 18 in Latin America and ranks sixth globally.

Data from the IBGE indicates that in 2024, Paraná recorded an average of three marriages involving minors per day. While there was a 16.3% decrease in formal child marriages in Paraná compared to the previous year, the state still leads in occurrences within the Southern region of Brazil. Nationally, formal unions involving adolescents fell by 8.2% between 2023 and 2024.

A significant challenge remains the high rate of informality; approximately 87% of unions involving children and adolescents are informal and unregistered. This lack of official documentation makes the issue less visible and complicates the implementation of protective public policies. Statistics show that the vast majority of those affected are female, particularly in the 16 to 17 age range.