Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors Associated with Early Marriage Among Women in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

Background Early marriage remains one of the most pervasive violations of girls' rights globally, and Bangladesh continues to record one of the highest national prevalences. This study examined the socioeconomic and demographic determinants of early marriage among ever-married women in Bangladesh using the most recent nationally representative survey data. Methods Data were drawn from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022 (BDHS 2022), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey comprising 20,029 ever-married women aged 15–49. Sampling weights were applied throughout. Socioeconomic and demographic predictors of early marriage (defined as marriage before age 18) were examined using Pearson chi-square tests and multivariable binary logistic regression, reporting adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results The national prevalence of early marriage was 67.5%. Education emerged as the dominant independent protective factor: women with no formal education were more than ten times as likely to have married early relative to those with higher education (AOR = 10.37; 95% CI: 8.77–12.25). A parallel inverse gradient was observed for husband's education. Substantial regional heterogeneity persisted after full adjustment, with Sylhet division recording the lowest adjusted odds (AOR = 0.24) and Khulna, Rajshahi, and Rangpur recording the highest relative to Barishal. Rural residence (AOR = 1.14; p = 0.001) and Muslim religious affiliation (AOR = 1.88; p < 0.001) were independently associated with elevated early marriage risk. Household wealth index and media exposure were significant in bivariate analysis but attenuated to non-significance in the adjusted model, indicating mediation through educational and structural pathways. Conclusions Early marriage in Bangladesh is a structurally embedded phenomenon driven primarily by educational deprivation, regional inequity, and cultural norms. Effective policy responses require sustained investment in girls' education, regionally differentiated enforcement of the Child Marriage Restraint Act, and community engagement with religious leaders to shift normative frameworks.