Child Marriage Is a Human Rights Crisis -- and Costs the World $175 Billion a Year. New Research Provides a Strategy to End It

NEW YORK, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Initiative at Columbia SIPA's Institute of Global Politics (IGP), together with the Center for Global Development (CGD), today released a new report titled Accelerating Efforts to End Child Marriage.

Approximately 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year, and recent challenges—including significant cuts in foreign assistance, the waning global commitment to women's human rights, and growing conflict and crises—threaten to slow or even reverse progress. Failure to accelerate the pace of change will result in hundreds of millions of child marriages over the next two decades. 

The costs of inaction on this issue are staggering: In addition to the human toll, this report includes a new analysis produced by CGD that estimates losses of up to $175 billion per year, or almost $2.5 trillion by 2040, from lost productivity and increased health risks due to child marriage. 

The report was commissioned by Sheryl Sandberg and coauthored by Professors Rachel Vogelstein and Jennifer Klein, who direct the Women's Initiative at Columbia SIPA's Institute of Global Politics. It was informed by an expert advisory council co-chaired by Mabel van Oranje, Co-Founder of Girls First Fund, Girls Not Brides, and VOW for Girls, and Memory Banda, a Malawian children's rights advocate. 

Recommendations focus on three critical strategies: (1) investing in girls' education; (2) promoting health services to reduce adolescent pregnancy; and (3) shifting social norms that perpetuate child marriage. Recognizing resource constraints, the report sets a pragmatic target: reducing the prevalence of child marriage from one in five to one in seven over the next five years. 

"This report makes clear that we can't realize our economic potential without the full participation of women and girls in society," said Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Professor of International and Public Affairs and IGP Faculty Advisory Board Chair at Columbia SIPA, 67th United States Secretary of State and former Senator from New York. "The cost of inaction—to young girls robbed of their futures, to the communities who forfeit their brilliance, and to a shared future untouched by their passion—is far too high to ignore."

"Every girl deserves a chance to live a life worthy of her dreams—and that's only possible in a world without child marriage," said Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States and founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance. "This new report shines a powerful light on the urgency of ending child marriage, how much progress we've made so far, and how much work we have left to do. And it lays out a path toward unlocking a more equitable future for girls and building a better world for us all—if we're willing to take it."

"Jennifer Klein and Rachel Vogelstein have masterfully articulated not just why child marriage is a theft of childhood and a violation of basic human dignity, but why addressing this abuse is a national security imperative," said Secretary John Kerry, 68th United States Secretary of State.  "Societies and governments that protect girls' fundamental right to choose their own futures not only prevent human suffering, they reap benefits in stability, health, and prosperity for all."

Secretary Janet L. Yellen, 78th Secretary of the Treasury and former Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of the United States, praised the report as "a clear, evidence-driven call to action—and a reminder that ending child marriage is both a moral imperative and an economic one. Vogelstein and Klein show that the price of inaction is enormous—up to $175 billion each year—and that even in a resource-constrained world, we can make real progress by focusing on what works: keeping girls in school, expanding adolescent health services, and shifting the norms that sustain this practice. Policymakers should read this report—and then move quickly from commitment to implementation."

Sheryl Sandberg, the founder of Lean In, commended the economic rationale for action highlighted in the report. "While we rarely talk about child marriage in economic terms, we should remember the concrete costs in lost productivity and higher health-care expenditures, and the incalculable squandering when each girl's ingenuity and ideas are extinguished," she said. 

Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of ONE, stressed that "ripping a child from her family, her friends, her education rips away her future. As Malala has said, child marriage is not a tradition sent from heaven, it is man-made—and men should argue as hard as women to change it. That means changing laws, but also fighting vicious cycles of extreme poverty which deny girls the education and opportunity to make their own decisions."

The report underscores that we are at a pivotal moment in the fight against child marriage—one that will determine whether progress continues or reverses. Collaboration between governments, multilateral organizations, philanthropies, and civil society organizations is essential to accelerate efforts to end child marriage globally. 

The full report is available here.

Additional praise for the report:

Alice P. Albright, former CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation: "Child marriage not only violates girls' rights—it also undermines their health, education, and future economic participation and creates an intergenerational cycle of poverty. This report highlights why ending child marriage is critical to economic development and outlines an evidence-based strategy to achieve this critical goal."

Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group: "This report makes clear that ending child marriage is fundamental to building human capital and expanding economic opportunity. When girls stay in school, access health services, and delay early marriage, they are far more likely to enter the workforce, earn higher incomes, and contribute productively to their communities — and live lives of dignity and confidence. That strengthens families, deepens the talent pool, and supports job creation."

Secretary Antony J. Blinken, 71st United States Secretary of State: "Child marriage violates the fundamental rights of girls. As the Institute of Global Politics report makes clear, it also undermines health, education, and economic stability around the world. That's why preventing child marriage is both a moral imperative and vital to advancing opportunity and security for communities and nations alike."

Senator Joni Ernst, United States Senator from Iowa: "Child marriage is a serious problem which particularly puts young girls at risk. My hope is for future generations of women to enjoy their childhoods and pursue education and economic opportunity. Through practical solutions, I'm encouraged that lasting progress can be made for young girls around the world, their futures, and their communities." 

Noah Feldman, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor, Harvard University: "Child marriage is a moral wrong that causes grave harm to girls. Failure to enforce legal rules against child marriage is an independent wrong—the wrong of unequal protection of the laws. When girls are denied the legal and moral right to consent to marriage, the state has failed in its most basic duty to guarantee autonomy. As the report shows, to end child marriage, we must find legal and cultural tools to enforce existing laws that recognize girls as rights-bearing individuals."

Jon Finer, former Principal Deputy National Security Advisor: "Child marriage is not only a human rights violation—it is also a practice that fuels poverty and is associated with conflict and instability. This report provides a compelling and practical strategy to accelerate progress to reduce child marriage and avoid the significant cost of inaction."

Hon. Henrietta Fore, former Executive Director of UNICEF and former USAID Administrator: "To end child marriage, culture is the key. A cycle of poverty is perpetuated. A girl child drops out of school. A girl child has a child. Read the report and join the call to action to end child marriage."

Dr. Claudia Goldin, Samuel W. Morris University Professor, Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences, and Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and Nobel Prize-winning economist: "Child marriage robs a girl of her own childhood and society of a productive and educated citizen. Her society would be better off, and she would be safer and healthier if child marriage could be ended. There is no defensible reason for it."

Dr. Gita Gopinath, Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard University and former First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund: "This report demonstrates that child marriage is not only a social challenge but a significant economic concern. By quantifying the long-term costs to productivity, labor force participation, and fiscal stability, it makes a compelling case for investing in girls as a driver of economic resilience. Sound economic policy must include sustained investment in girls' education and health."

Ambassador Mark Green, former USAID Administrator, United States Ambassador to Tanzania, and United States Representative from Wisconsin: "Child marriage is a stain upon any society that permits it. It not only undermines human dignity, but as this report makes clear, it limits a country's prospects for economic progress and achievement."

Senator Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator from Minnesota: "Protecting girls and ensuring they can choose their own future is critical to lifting up communities and fostering economic opportunity. This report shines a light on the urgent need to prevent child marriage and support girls across the globe."

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund: "There is a time for everything. There's a time for school. There is a time for marriage. School comes first."

Secretary Jacob J. Lew, 76th United States Secretary of the Treasury and former United States Ambassador to Israel: "The IGP Women's Initiative report is an important contribution for policymakers and philanthropic donors to understand and address this problem. Importantly, the report documents the economic as well as the human impact of child marriage, making clear that ending child marriage will not only prevent human suffering, it will enhance economic growth, and it offers common sense suggestions for future action." 

David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and 74th UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: "This report demonstrates that child marriage is not only a social challenge but a significant economic concern. By quantifying the long-term costs to productivity, labor force participation, and fiscal stability, it makes a compelling case for investing in girls as a driver of economic resilience. Sound economic policy must include sustained investment in girls' education and health." 

Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE: "This report brings together the evidence and experience that organizations on the ground like CARE have seen for years. Child marriage can be prevented when girls are supported, families have options, and communities are engaged.  The research shows how to move from isolated programs to change at scale. This is both possible and necessary."

Secretary Condoleezza Rice, 66th United States Secretary of State: "During my time as Secretary of State, I saw firsthand that nations cannot build stable democracies or prosperous economies while half their population is denied the chance to learn, to grow, and to choose their own futures. Child marriage is not only a fundamental violation of human dignity, but a barrier to global stability. Meeting this challenge in the 21st century will require strong leadership and a long-term commitment to development, because the cost of doing nothing is simply too high."

Senator Jacky Rosen, United States Senator from Nevada: "Child marriage is a gross violation of human rights that robs girls of their childhood, education, health, financial independence, and so much more. Every year, millions of girls around the world are forced into marriage and their future pays the price; we cannot look away. This report shines a light on the overwhelming scope of this crisis and the urgent action needed to end it. Preventing child marriage must remain a US and global priority, and I'm proud to stand with advocates working to ensure every girl has the freedom and opportunity to determine her own future."

Secretary Robert E. Rubin, 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury: "Pulling girls out of school and into marriage loses years of learning, growth, and productivity for them and for their countries' economies. This report shows that ending child marriage is not only about protecting girls—it is about securing a stronger economic future for everyone."

Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF: "Every girl forced into an early marriage or early childbearing is a tragedy—for the girl, for her community, and for her country. Adolescent girls who are healthy and educated are critical to successful development."

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation and former USAID Administrator: "At a time when countries are pulling back from their commitments to the world's most vulnerable, protecting girls from child marriage is both an urgent obligation and an extraordinary opportunity. This report offers a novel framework, pointing to proven interventions like education and reproductive health care that address the problem at its root. By coming together to end child marriage, the world can extend dignity and opportunity to millions of girls—who deserve nothing less."

Jake Sullivan, former United States National Security Advisor: "Ending child marriage is both a moral imperative and a smart investment for long-term economic growth. This report makes it clear that investing in efforts to reduce child marriage will advance prosperity and stability for nations around the world."

Media Contact: Lionel Beehner, Senior Editorial Director, Columbia SIPA, [email protected]

Lean In: [email protected]

Columbia IGP Women's Initiative: https://igp.sipa.columbia.edu/our-work/initiatives/womens-initiative

SOURCE Columbia Institute of Global Politics Women’s Initiative