Kuwait Officially Raises Minimum Marriage Age to 18 Amid Rising Underage Marriages 

Kuwait officially raised the minimum legal age for marriage to 18 with amendments made to the laws aimed at protecting children’s rights and promoting family stability. Minister of Justice Nasser Al Sumait has announced the completion of amendments to Article 26 of Personal Status Law 51/1984 and Article 15 of Jaafari Personal Status Law 124/2019 barring any marriages taking place prior to the age of 18.

This decision coincides with Kuwait’s international obligations pursuant to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In 2024, Kuwait recorded 1,145 cases of underage marriages, 1,079 girls and 66 boys. In fact, a worrying fact was that divorce rates amongst minors were double those of adults. This highlights the necessity for emotional and social maturity in marriage.

These laws will discourage child marriages in Kuwait and promote divorced people to embrace married life.