Authorities in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg have recorded 358 cases of child marriage since 2012. Yet courts annulled only eight between 2018 and 2024, raising questions about how authorities protect children after identifying these marriages. The figures also reveal gaps in official information about child marriage, particularly its effects on education and access to support.
At the same time, a state funded counselling center recorded 80 reported cases of forced marriage in 2025. Of these, 33 were minors, including 4 children under 12.
Gaps in tackling child marriage in Germany
The state government released the figures in response to a parliamentary inquiry prompted by women’s rights organization Terre des Femmes.
Germany has prohibited marriage under 18 since 2017. In 2024, the Bundestag introduced further protections for minors in marriages concluded abroad. However, when the state government answered the inquiry, no court was considering a case to annul a child marriage. To date, only 8 of the 358 marriages were annulled.
One such case involved an 14-year-old girl married to a 30-year-old man. A court annulled their marriage in 2018.
As for the rest? They are classified as “other disposals.” In some, a spouse had died or the child had reached adulthood, while in others no one sought an annulment or someone had remarried abroad. These outcomes do not necessarily mean a marriage continues. The figures therefore cannot show how many children remain married or whether every case involved coercion.
80 reported cases of forced marriage in 2025
Official data is clearly limited. The education ministry does not track how forced marriage affects pupils, while the state government does not know where the recorded marriages took place. Without this information, authorities cannot fully understand the problem or identify where children need support.
The state-funded counselling center YASEMIN recorded 271 cases in 2025, including 80 involving people at risk of forced marriage. Among them were 33 minors: four under 12, five aged 12 and two aged 13. The center does not record whether those seeking help attend school. Its figures also cover only people who accessed counseling, rather than all children at risk.
“State parliament member Emely Knorr, who co-initiated the inquiry, demanded on the social media platform Instagram: “Child marriages are incompatible with our values. Children have a right to safety, education and a self-determined future. That is why we need effective protection, early intervention and resolute action against forced marriages.””
Why child marriage demands action
Whilst not all child marriages are forced, the inherent vulnerability of children, particularly girls, makes them susceptible to coercion. Though Germany has banned child marriage, the figures show that children are still vulnerable to forced marriages. Where child marriage is not banned, children who are forced into marriage have no avenue for support.
Ending child marriage without exceptions is one of the best ways to ensure no child is forced into marriage. Join the movement and take action against forced child marriage today.
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