Polygamy

Where Polygamy Is Most Widely Practiced

Polygamy remains rare across the world and data from the Pew Research Center shows where it is most widely practiced. In the United States, spouselike relationships with more than one person under the same roof were criminalized in 1882 and every state has a law against getting married while already being married to somebody else. Interestingly, Utah passed a law in February reducing punishments for people living together in polygamous relationships which has made it a low-level offence without jail time.

So where is polygamy most commonly practiced today? Pew's data shows that around 2 percent of the global population currently lives in a polygamous household and it is most frequently seen in parts of West and Central Africa where it remains legal. The share of individuals living in polygamous households is highest in Burkina Faso (36 percent), Mali (34 percent) and Gambia (30 percent). It tends to vary based on religious affiliation, however. For example, eight percent of Christians in Nigeria live in a polygamous household compared with 40 percent of Muslims.

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This chart shows the share of individuals living in polygamous households in 2019.

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Americans' moral stance towards polygamy in 2018
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Public perception on the morality of polygamy in the UK 2015, by age
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Public perception on the morality of polygamy in the UK 2015, by gender
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Number of polygamous marriages in Morocco 2018-2020
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Married women in a polygynous union in Nigeria 1990-2018
Moral acceptance of selected issues by US Mormons

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