Research by the Worldbank found that girls who marry under the age of 18:      are more likely to drop out of school.    make more lifetime earnings than girls who marry later.   are more likely to go to college.   have fewer children during their lifetime.

Marriage before 18 years of age, or child marriages, are formidable barriers to gender equality, the Worldbank finds. In developing countries, it has been noticed that nearly 1/3rds of girls are married off before the age of 18 years. This is particularly harmful, as, despite legal prohibitions imposed against them, child marriages continue to remain pervasive in developing countries. If present trends are to continue, then it has been estimated that nearly 18 million girls below the age of 18 years will be married within a decade.