Arranged marriages Total control in the marriage decisions of children by parents is rare in China today, but parental involvement in decision making now takes on a different form.

In what countries is child marriage legal?

In Iraq, Jamaica and Uruguay, children can marry with parental permission. In about one fifth of countries (38), there are different minimum ages for men and women, and almost always the girl is younger. For example, in Bangladesh, women must be 18 and men must be 21 to marry.