Every day, 20,000 girls below age 18 give birth in developing countries. Nine in 10 of these births occur within marriage or a union. Girls under 15 account for 2 million of the annual total of 7.3 million new adolescent mothers each year. If current trends continue, the number of births to girls under 15 could rise to 3 million a year in 2030. The State of World Population 2013, published by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, on October 30, 2013, highlights the main challenges of adolescent pregnancy and its serious impacts on girls' education, health and long-term employment opportunities. The report also shows what can be done to curb this trend and protect girls' human rights and well-being.
