The Population Reference Bureau estimates that between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). Over three million girls in Africa are at risk for undergoing the procedure. According to the report, fewer women may be undergoing FGM in countries like Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya where fewer younger women (ages 15-19) report having undergone the procedure than older women (ages 35-39).
FGM occurs in 28 countries in Africa, and others in Asia and the Middle East. It is practiced by people of various religious, socio-economic statuses, and locations.
The report lists prevalence of FGM by age and country by compiling information from various reports, including the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS); the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), UNICEF; and the Pan-Arab Project for Family Health (PAPFAM).
Compiled from: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends, Population Reference Bureau, 2008.