Ranchi, Nov. 9 -- Teenage pregnancy in Jharkhand has increased from 9.8 per cent to 11.7 per cent, with rural areas reporting nearly three times the rate recorded in urban centres, according to figures cited by UNICEF officials.
UNICEF Jharkhand head Kaninika Mitra said the rate stood at 13.3 per cent in rural areas against 4.7 per cent in urban areas. She linked the disparity to gaps in education, healthcare access, social practices and child marriage.
Child marriage in the state has declined from 32 per cent to 28 per cent, but remains above the national figure of around 20 per cent. Jharkhand ranks fourth among states with the highest prevalence of child marriage, according to UNICEF.
Experts have identified school dropouts, safety co...