In Uzbekistan, they want to allow marriage under the age of 18 in only two cases

In Uzbekistan, it is proposed to allow marriage under the age of 18 in only two cases

In Uzbekistan, there are plans to reduce the list of grounds on which the marriageable age can be lowered from 18. It is planned to keep only two cases — pregnancy or the birth of a child.

Corresponding amendments have been prepared for the Family Code. This was announced at a Senate meeting by Dilnoza Kattakhonova, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Family and Women's Committee. According to her, the bill has already been sent to the Presidential Administration.

Currently, the legislation allows lowering the established marriageable age by no more than one year also in the event that a minor is declared fully capable. It is proposed to remove this provision.

In addition, there are plans to introduce an automatic ban for persons under 18 on submitting marriage registration applications through the "Adliya+" and MyAdliya.uz platforms. It will only be possible to submit an application after the khokim (head of local administration) makes a decision to lower the marriageable age.

As Kattakhonova noted, since the beginning of 2026, 348 early marriages have been prevented in the country.

Earlier, Uzbekistan introduced additional measures to combat early marriages. They provide for new mechanisms for their detection, increased liability, as well as support measures for young families who enter into their first marriage after both spouses have reached the age of 21.