The average age of marriage in Egypt is 20 for women and 26 for men. Although the law forbids marriage under the age of 18, marriage at an early age is still a societal problem, especially in rural areas of Upper Egypt, said Abdel Tawab. The study found that about one-quarter of married women aged 25 and 29, equal to about 600,000 women nationwide, had married before the age of 18. This ratio rises to 33.3 percent among married women aged 25 to 29 in the rural areas of Upper Egypt, according to Abdel Tawab. According to the study, 18 percent of women who married before the age of 18 had a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Source: Egypt Independent May 18, 2017 10:07 UTC