Teenage pregnancy can have a devastating impact on the lives of girls, harming their health, education and long-term opportunities.
Many adolescents are not yet physically ready for pregnancy or childbirth and so are more vulnerable to experiencing negative health outcomes. Globally, pregnancy and childbearing complications are a leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19.
Adolescent mothers can also face serious social consequences that violate their human rights, including child marriage, intimate-partner violence and mental health issues.
Regional Context
The overall number of teenage pregnancies is falling in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and is below the global average. Several countries, such as Armenia, Serbia and Türkiye, have made significant strides in recent years, decreasing their adolescent birth rates by around a third since 2000.
However, other countries still have high – and in some cases increasing – adolescent birth rates, especially in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Tajikistan has the highest level in the region with 39 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, although that is still a reduction from its peak of 56 births in 2015.
Girls from vulnerable or marginalized populations who have limited access to sexual and reproductive healthcare are more likely to become pregnant. Among the most affected groups are adolescents forced into child marriage, as well as girls from certain linguistic, religious and ethnic minorities, including Roma youth, lower-income groups, people from rural areas, migrants or internally displaced persons, and out-of-school youth.
Taking Action
Early pregnancy and motherhood are closely linked to issues of human rights. An adolescent girl who is prevented from accessing reproductive health information or contraception, for example, is denied her right to agency, choice and health. A teenage mother who is pressured to leave school is denied her right to an education, which also jeopardizes her economic future and prospects for other opportunities in life.
That is why UNFPA advocates for a rights-based approach to address the underlying drivers of adolescent pregnancy: gender inequality, early and child marriage, sexual violence, and harmful stereotypes and social norms.
In collaboration with partners in government, civil society, and youth-led organizations, UNFPA works to expand access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and services, including safe and affordable contraceptive options, for all young people.
A crucial part of this effort is the development of youth-friendly health services, as well as age-appropriate, culturally-sensitive comprehensive sexuality education both in and out of schools. This ensures that girls and boys, particularly those from vulnerable communities, are reached.
UNFPA urges governments to combat social and cultural beliefs that contribute to the lower status of women and girls and to invest in developing their human capital. The Global Programme to End Child Marriage, launched by UNFPA and UNICEF, reflects this ambition by empowering girls to achieve their aspirations through education and other pathways, averting early marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
Updated August 2025
