UN report: 12.3 million girls aged 10-19 became mothers in 2025

September 28, 2026 at 05:19 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A UN human rights report says 12.3 million girls aged 10 to 19 gave birth in 2025, most in low- and middle-income countries. The report warns that adolescent pregnancy is preventable but remains a major health risk for girls. It calls for comprehensive sexuality education and laws removing child marriage to reduce the toll.

Key Facts

12.3 million girls aged 10–19 gave birth in 2025, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
About 21 million adolescent girls become pregnant each year in low- and middle-income countries.
Around 43 percent of adolescents aged 15–19 in poor countries lack access to modern contraception.
The report identifies laws eliminating child marriage, confidential healthcare access, subsidized contraception, and decriminalization of abortion as effective tools.

The Report's Findings

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report documenting adolescent pregnancy worldwide. In 2025, 12.3 million girls aged 10 to 19 became mothers, most in low- and middle-income countries. The report states that many of these pregnancies were unintended and carried severe health risks, including higher preventable maternal mortality compared to adult women. It also notes that the true scale is likely larger because stigma, fear, and weak registration systems leave many pregnancies unrecorded.

Prevention Measures

The report emphasizes that adolescent pregnancy is preventable and that many countries have taken steps over the past two decades to reduce its prevalence. Effective tools named in the report include laws eliminating child marriage, guaranteeing confidential access to healthcare without third-party consent, subsidizing contraception, and decriminalizing abortion and voluntary relationships between peers. The authors also point to rising attacks on comprehensive sexuality education in many countries, despite evidence that such education delays sexual activity and improves knowledge of reproductive health. The report concludes that states can prevent adolescent pregnancy through a comprehensive, human rights-based approach backed by political will, funding, and adolescent participation.