The Supreme Judicial Council's 2024 annual report highlights a notable 17.02% decline in child marriage requests, yet underscores the ongoing prevalence of the practice in rural communities. While requests for female minors decreased, there was a concerning 33.68% rise in requests for underage male marriages, reflecting persistent regional and educational disparities. The 2024 annual report from the Supreme Judicial Council revealed a significant decline in the number of child marriage requests compared to the previous year, despite the continued prevalence of the practice in rural areas and among people with little or no schooling. According to the report, a total of 16,755 requests for child marriage were recorded in 2024, representing a 17.02% decrease from 2023, which saw 20,192 requests. Requests involving females under the legal age also fell by 17.5%, dropping from 20,002 to 16,501. However, requests for the marriage of underage males increased by 33.68%, rising from 190 cases in 2023 to 254 in 2024. Most requests from minors with little or no schooling in rural areas The data showed that over 96% of minors seeking marriage were not engaged in any professional activity, with 92.53% being with little or no schooling, equivalent to 15,503 requests. Geographically, 78.13% of requests originated from rural areas, a total of 13,091 requests. The report also noted that child marriage requests accounted for 6.46% of all marriage applications filed nationwide in 2024, out of a total of 259,212. In terms of regional distribution, the Marrakech Court of Appeal ranked first with 2,941 requests (17.55% of the national total), followed by Fez with 2,394 requests (14.29%) and Kenitra with 1,480 (8.83%). At the other end of the spectrum, Guelmim recorded just 48 requests, accounting for less than 0.3% of the national total. Majority of Requests from 17–18 Age Group, Acceptance Rate Remains Stable The largest share of requests came from minors aged 17 to 18, with 10,984 cases (65.56% of the total), resulting in 7,828 approvals (70.55% of processed cases). They were followed by those aged 16 to 17, who submitted 5,079 requests (30.31%), of which 2,772 were approved (53.64%). Minors aged 15 to 16 accounted for 633 requests (3.78%), with 90 approvals (13.6%), while only 59 requests involved children under 15, with one case approved (1.67%). Overall, the acceptance rate for underage marriage requests stood at 62.94% in 2024, nearly unchanged from the previous year.
