17% Decrease in Requests for Authorization for Minors to Marry in 2024, According to the CSPJ

The Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) reported, in its 2024 annual report, a 17.02% decrease in requests for authorization for minors to marry compared to 2023.

In its report, the Council notes that, despite the strict legal framework established by Articles 20 and 21 of the Family Code, which makes the marriage of minors an exception requiring judicial authorization based on a legitimate interest and justified circumstances, the figures reveal the persistence of this phenomenon and its profound social implications.

It is noted that requests from females decreased (-17.5%) while those from males increased (+33.68%).

According to statistical data on requests for minors to marry, 55.6% of requests are concentrated in five judicial districts: Marrakech, Fès, Kénitra, El Jadida, and Béni Mellal.

For its part, the judicial district of Errachidia recorded the highest acceptance rate for requests for minors to marry (81%) while Settat showed the lowest rate (20.1%), the report specifies.

The total number of pending requests for minors to marry for girls reached 16,730, representing 98.50% of the total, while that for boys was 255, representing less than 1.50% of the total.

As for the number of accepted requests for girls, it reached 10,570, representing 63.18% of the total, while that for boys did not exceed 121.

The CSPJ observed that marriages of minors were more frequent in rural areas in 2024, with 13,091 requests (78.13%), against 3,664 requests in urban areas (21.87%). Similarly, the acceptance rate for requests from residents in rural areas reached 79.65%, while that for residents in urban areas was 87.52%.

According to the report, these figures demonstrate that legal solutions to the problem of underage marriages will remain insufficient as long as they are not integrated into convergent public policies and strategies aimed at addressing the root causes of the persistence of said marriages.

The report insists, in this regard, on the importance of generalizing access to compulsory education for girls, particularly in rural areas, and combating school dropout.

The same document advocates for a change in mentalities and dominant social concepts, by raising awareness of the importance of eradicating illiteracy and fighting poverty and vulnerability.