There are no laws defining the minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia. Most religious authorities have justified the marriage of girls as young as nine and boys as young as fifteen. However, they believe a father can marry off his daughter at any age as long as consummation is delayed until she reaches puberty. A 2009 think-tank report on women's education concluded Early marriage (before 16 years) ... negatively influences their chances of employment and the economic status of the family. It also negatively affects their health as they are at greater risk of dying from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. A 2004 United Nations report found that 16 percent of teenage Saudi women were or had been married.