Economic determinants of child marriage: Evidence from the Iranian provinces

Abstract

This study investigates the economic determinants of early marriage among girls under 19, using panel data from thirty Iranian provinces between 2007 and 2015. The panel fixed effects and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations, which control for province fixed effects such as local cultural norms or geographical conditions, show that the level of income per capita (with a negative effect), inflation, and income inequality (both with a positive effect) are significant determinants of early marriage.