National Family Health Survey-5: Prevalence of child brides and teenage pregnancy has increased in Assam and Tripura when national average has fallen

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, 2019-20 shows an alarmingly high percentage of child brides and teenage pregnancy in two north-eastern states-Tripura and Assam. These two states account for much higher percentage of child brides and teenage pregnancy than the national average. It also reveals that the percentage of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in these two states have increased in comparison to NFHS-4, conducted during 2015-16.

The NFHS-5 data show that the percentage of women in the age-group of 20-24 years, who were married before the legal marriage age of 18, was 40.1 in Tripura. The percentage in the state in this category was 33.1 during NFHS-4. In Assam, the percentage increased to 31.8 during NFHS-5, from 30.8 during NFHS-4. On the other hand, the national average during NFHS-5 declined to 23.3 from 26.8 during NFHS-5.

Percentage of young marriage among the girls has also increased to 16.3 during NFHS-5, from 13.7 during NFHS-4 in Manipur.

Among all north-eastern states Percentage of child marriage is the lowest in Nagaland, which is 5.6 in NFHS-5, a sharp decline from 13.4 during NFHS-4.

Assam and Tripura have also recorded high prevalence of teenage pregnancy. In the category of “Women aged 15-19 years who were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey”, the percentage in Tripura during NFHS-5 is 21.9 which is three times higher than the National average of 6.8. In case of Assam, it is 11.7. The percentage of teenage pregnancy was 18.8 in Tripura and 13.6 in Assam during NFHS-4 when the national average was 7.9.

NFHS-5, 2019-20

1. Women aged 20–24-year age married before age 18 year
2. Women aged 15-19 years who were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey

Performance of Tripura and Assam is also poor in the category of “women with 10 or more years of schooling”, the NHFS-5 shows. It is only 23.2 in Tripura and 29.6 in Assam. The Percentage of women with 10 or more years schooling is also low in Meghalaya (35.1), and Arunachal Pradesh (39.4) than the national average of 40.

Among all north-eastern states, Mizoram topped the list of women with 10 or more years of schooling with 50 percent. Sikkim follows it with 49 per cent and Manipur with 48.1.

NFHS-5, 2019-20

1. Women with 10 or more years of schooling
2. Women who are literate

NEZINE Bureau