Tonga raises legal marriage age to 18 in effort to prevent child marriage

A legal reform raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 in Tonga is an important step toward protecting human rights and preventing modern slavery.

Tonga’s government has passed changes under the Civil Registration & Digital Identification Act 2025, establishing 18 as the legal minimum age for marriage.

People aged 15 to 17 could previously get married with parental consent.

The reform removes this exception, aligning Tonga more closely with international standards and efforts to prevent child marriage.

Child marriage is a form of modern slavery when it involves forced marriage.

Forced marriage occurs when a person, regardless of age, has not given full and free consent and cannot refuse or leave due to coercion, threats, or abuse of power.

An estimated 22 million people globally are living in a forced marriage, with women and girls accounting for 68% of those affected, according to the latest Global Slavery Index.

These practices occur in all countries and are driven by intersecting factors, including:

Setting the legal age of marriage at 18 without exception is a critical step in reducing risk.

However, legislation alone is not enough. In some contexts, bans on child marriage have driven the practice underground when not supported by broader protections and community engagement.

The focus must now turn to enforcement to ensure the law is applied in practice.