Polygamy is a practice in which a person is simultaneously married to more than one spouse. The marital arrangement is most commonly a man with several wives, aka polygyny. The lifestyle of polygamy is usually based on traditional/cultural practices or religious beliefs. For example, polygamy is found in Islam, and many primarily Muslim countries have the practice legalized. Some polygamists practice Christianity, while others are rooted in traditional African religions or are unaffiliated with religion altogether.
So, exactly in how many countries is polygamy legal? The answer is nearly 50 – mainly across West Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. However, note that there are places listed below like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and the Philippines where polygamy is prohibited under civil law but allowed for Muslims practicing their Islamic beliefs. Not included on the list is Bhutan, where polygamy is legal if the first wife provides consent, but additional wives aren’t officially recognized as spouses by the law.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eswatini
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Iran
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- Malaysia
- Sri Lanka
- Singapore
- Philippines
A December 2020 Pew Research Center report noted that polygamy is rare, with only around 2% of the global population living in polygamous households.
Where Is Polygamy Legal In The United States?
Polygamy is not legal in the U.S. at the federal or state level in any of the nation’s 50 states. That said, having multiple legal marriages was decriminalized in Utah in 2020, which changed the crime from a felony to a low-level offense. Notably, Utah has a high population of Mormons, and some fundamentalists of the Church of Latter-Day Saints still believe in plural marriages.
Read more below on a few countries where polygamy is legal.
1. Afghanistan
The Afghan Constitution and Islamic Sharia law support polygamy. Men can take up to four wives, but all the wives should be treated equally. The State Department notes that “although Afghan law permits polygamy, American men will not be allowed to marry multiple women.” The Pew Research Center claimed in its 2020 report that less than 1% of Muslim men “live with more than one spouse in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, and Egypt…”
2. Algeria
According to the United Kingdom’s information on the North African country’s ” family code, ” a man can take up to four wives in Algeria. He must prove justified reasons for additional marriages. Per the source, Algerian men must also inform their current wife (or wives) and the new wife of each other. Additionally, the husband reportedly needs to provide proof that he can give all the wives the necessary conditions, equally, for married life.
3. Bahrain
Polygyny is legal for up to four wives in Bahrain, unlike many other Muslim nations that approve of polygamy. Only a small percentage of Bahraini citizens practice polygamy. To marry another wife in Bahrain, citizens can apply to the Ministry of Justice. According to the United Nations (UN) Development Programme, Bahrain’s Family Law, No. 19 of 2017 states that a “husband must declare the number of wives in the marriage contract.”
4. Bangladesh
Polygamy is legal and recognized in Bangladesh, but the 1961 Muslim Family Law restricts the practice. Bangladeshi Muslim men can have up to four wives at one time. However, he must have permission from his existing wife/wives. The proposed new marriage must also be deemed “necessary and just” by the Arbitration Council. Failure to get permission from the Arbitration Council on marriages can result in land loss, fines, prison, or a combination.
5. Cameroon
Polygamy is legal in Cameroon and it’s unspecified whether there’s a cap on how many wives a man can have. Whether the marriage is monogamous or polygamous must be disclosed to officially tie the knot, according to UNICEF. The source additionally notes that the legal age to marry in Cameroon is 18 for males and 15 for females. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Development Economics noted, “Polygamy is still important in Cameroon, but it has been declining in recent decades.”
6. Senegal
A man can take up to four wives in Senegal, according to the country’s “Family Code.” Men can commit to monogamy, limited polygamy, or polygamy (up to four wives). A 2015 report from the UN Human Rights’ Office of the High Commissioner noted, “In Senegal 35.2% of registered marriages are polygamous.” However, that percentage didn’t include “the large number of unrecorded customary marriages.” Pew Research Center’s 2020 report noted that 86% of Muslims in Senegal said polygamy is morally acceptable.
7. United Arab Emirates
Muslim men in the UAE may take up to four wives. However, the country’s law approves of a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman, but it will not allow a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man “without proof of his conversion to Islam.” In polygamous marriages in the UAE, the husband should treat his wives equally.
