Life stages in Mozambique

A child’s legal identity begins with birth registration. Registration is mandatory, and registration within 120 days is free; late registration may incur a fee. A Conservatória, or civil registry office, issues the birth certificate used for school admission, social protection, formal employment, voting and passport access. In 2023, only about 32% of children under five were registered nationally. All 165 Conservatórias had been digitalized, and civil-registration links with health facilities covered 152 institutions, but distance, missing documents, dependence on another person’s records and emergencies still restrict access. Children aged under two may qualify for the targeted Child Grant in selected districts and vulnerable households. A documented program period paid about 540 MZN per month quarterly and combined cash with nutrition, water and sanitation information, childcare support and household follow-up. In 2024, more than 23,000 children under 25 months in Nampula and Cabo Delgado were enrolled, while more than 3,500 vulnerable caregivers received case management. This is not a universal national payment, and current eligibility, coverage and amount require confirmation for the relevant district. Mozambique’s education law provides free and compulsory schooling for Grades 1 to 9 regardless of age. Children commonly start school at about six years old and complete compulsory schooling at approximately 15, but the transition to upper secondary education or skills training is selective. Early childhood education has a national strategy, but nationwide implementation and a universal entitlement should not be assumed. Rural location, poverty, weak learning conditions, conflict, disasters, gender-based risks and disability can interrupt attendance and continuation. Adolescence usually refers to ages 10 to 19, and youth commonly refers to ages 15 to 24. These are planning categories rather than a single national benefit status. Young people may move from school into skills programs, second-chance education, work or referral services for sexual and reproductive health, social protection and child protection. Access depends on region, gender, disability, household resources and security. Child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, HIV, violence, school dropout and the gap between education and employment remain major risks. The Labour Law 13/2023 generally sets 18 as the age for entering employment. Light work may exceptionally be allowed from age 15 with authorization from legal representatives, subject to limits of 25 hours per week and five hours per day. Hazardous, unhealthy or physically demanding work is prohibited for anyone under 18. An ILO country profile identifies 12 as a minimum age for apprenticeships, but any practical arrangement must still comply with Mozambican law and child-protection safeguards. Turning 18 does not automatically provide a job, housing, income or social insurance. The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, covers contributory benefits such as sickness, maternity, paternity, invalidity, old age and survivors’ benefits. Access depends on registration and contributions, so formal employment and informal work do not provide the same protection. The INSS public information lists old-age pensions from age 55 for women and 60 for men with 240 months of contributions. On 4 March 2026, the government announced approval of a law raising the retirement age to 65, but its enacted text and effective scope were not established in the available research; applicants should verify the current rule with INSS before claiming. Older-age assistance is divided between contributory schemes, civil-service and military arrangements, and basic social assistance administered through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action, known as MGCAS, and the National Institute for Social Action, known as INAS. Mozambique has no confirmed nationwide older-age service centre or universal old-age income payment in the available evidence. Coverage remains limited, and access may depend on contributions, employment history, poverty targeting, district capacity and current program rules. Care for people with disabilities, older people and others who need daily assistance is mainly provided by households, relatives and communities. The available evidence does not establish nationwide long-term-care insurance, standardized care grades, a universal care allowance or a national network of home-care and residential services. INAS, MGCAS, health and social services, community structures and nongovernmental partners may support referrals, home visits, community-based rehabilitation, assistive devices, early identification and inclusive education. Availability and continuity depend strongly on poverty, disability assessment, district capacity, conflict and displacement. Family formation belongs primarily to the Family topic, but it affects life-stage transitions. Under the 2019 family law and the regime against early unions, marriage or union involving anyone under 18 is prohibited. A 2022 survey reported that 48.4% of women aged 20 to 24 had first married or entered a union before 18, and 12.9% had done so before 15; 78.5% of reported child marriages involved girls. The rate was higher in rural, northern and central areas, including about 61% before 18 in Cabo Delgado compared with about 16% in Maputo. These figures describe a serious protection and education risk, not a normal legal transition. Conflict in Cabo Delgado, internal displacement, cyclones, floods, cholera and post-election unrest can interrupt several services at once. Families may lose documents, children may stop attending school, relatives may become separated, caregivers may experience severe strain, and risks of violence, exploitation, early unions and gender-based violence may increase. Responses can include mobile birth-registration teams, temporary services, child-friendly spaces, case management, community protection, mental-health and psychosocial support, inclusive water and sanitation services, education, humanitarian cash and hotlines such as Linha Verde 1458 and Linha Fala Criança. Payments and service operations have been disrupted by unrest, Cyclone Chido, attacks and heavy rain, so crisis access depends on the location and security situation. Common transitions include birth registration, early childhood nutrition and care, completion of Grade 9, movement into upper secondary education or skills training, entry into permitted work, family responsibilities, contributory employment and later access to pension or social assistance. Each transition may require documents, school or service access, a poverty or vulnerability assessment, or social-security contributions. Mozambique has no single public institution responsible for all life-stage needs, and national findings should not be treated as identical in every province or district.