Report: Morocco records over 16,000 child marriage requests in 2024

Morocco’s Supreme Council of the Judiciary reported that courts across the country received 16,755 requests for marriages involving minors in 2024, with the vast majority coming from rural communities, according to its latest annual report.

The figures show that 78.1% of all requests (13,091 cases) were filed in rural areas, compared with 21.9% (3,664 cases)in urban areas. The approval rate for rural cases stood at 65.8%, while urban courts approved 52.9% of similar petitions.

Although the report highlights the persistence of underage marriage despite growing calls for its prohibition, it also notes a 17% decrease from 2023, when courts registered 20,192 such requests. In 2024, female applicants accounted for 16,501 requests, down 17.5% from the previous year, while male applicants rose to 254, a 33.7% increase.

Overall, 62.9% of all underage marriage petitions were approved in 2024, a rate largely unchanged from 2023. The council noted that more than 96% of applicants were not engaged in any professional activity, and that 92.5% of requests came from minors who were not enrolled in school.

The report also revealed that child marriage requests represented 6.46% of the total 259,212 marriage applications filed nationwide.

Regionally, the Marrakesh Court of Appeal led with 2,941 cases (17.6%), followed by Fez (2,394 cases, 14.3%) and Kenitra (1,480 cases, 8.8%). The Guelmim Court of Appeal recorded the lowest figure with only 48 cases (0.29%).

In terms of approval rates, Errachidia topped the list, granting 81% of underage marriage requests, followed by Fez (76.6%) and Kenitra (75.7%).

Most petitions came from girls aged 17 and older, who accounted for 10,984 requests (65.6%), with courts approving 7,828 (70.6%). The 16–17 age group represented 5,079 cases (30.3%), of which 2,772 (53.6%) were approved.

Requests involving minors aged 15–16 totaled 633 (3.8%), with 90 approvals (13.6%), while children under 15accounted for 59 petitions (0.35%), and only one case (1.7%) was granted.

Despite the overall decline, the report underscores that child marriage remains a deeply entrenched rural phenomenon linked to poverty, school dropout rates and limited access to education and social services.