By Associated Press - Sunday, February 11, 2018

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - As New Hampshire lawmakers again consider raising the marriage age, statistic shows the number of child marriages per year has been steadily declining.

The Concord Monitor reports that five child marriages were allowed last year. In 1989, judges allowed 115 child marriages. Since 2001, there have been 20 or fewer each year.

Current law allows girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 14 to marry with court and parental permission. Lawmakers rejected raising the minimum age to 18 last year. They’re now considering raising the age to 16, but according to state data, that would not stop the large majority of child marriages.

In the last five years, 39 of 67 petitioners for a child marriage license were 16 or 17 years old. Only two were 13 or 14.

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Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.concordmonitor.com

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