The Triad of Ethnicity, Religion, and Development in Iran

Globally, Iran ranks tenth in the prevalence of female child marriage. Using quantitative secondary analysis of vital statistics data, I examine the role of ethnicity, religion, and development in this phenomenon from 2013 to 2021 since 1,199,271 child marriages were registered during this period. Although religion and development are linked to child marriage, the association is not definitive; some developed provinces show high rates, while less developed western areas have the lowest and the prevalence varies in Sunni and Shiite regions. Ethnicity appears to be the most consistent factor. Ethnic groups of Baluch, Turk, Arab, Turkman, and Persian in Khorasan have the highest ratios. This suggests that development alone cannot reduce child marriage; social, cultural, and religious dynamics need to be considered

Child development · Ethnic group · Persian · Phenomenon · Triad (sociology · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Global Maternal and Child Health · Islamic Studies and History