The German state of Baden-Württemberg has officially recorded 358 child marriages since 2012. The figures concern marriages that took place abroad. They were released in a government response to questions from two members of the state parliament. Eight marriages were annulled, meaning they were legally cancelled. The other 350 cases were closed in other ways.
The eight annulments took place between 2018 and 2024. One involved an Iraqi girl who was 11 when she married a 17-year-old Iraqi boy. Their marriage was annulled in 2020. Other cases were closed for reasons including a spouse's death or a person reaching adulthood. Germany introduced a law against child marriage in 2017 and adopted further protection rules in 2024. No annulment cases were awaiting court decisions when the government answered the questions.
In 2025, the state-funded advice centre YASEMIN recorded 271 counselling cases. In 80 of them, people were at risk of being forced to marry. Of those 80 people, 33 were under 18. Marriage in Germany is only allowed once a person reaches adulthood, and forcing someone to marry is a criminal offence.
