In some African countries, sizable minorities of people live in polygamous households % of individuals in polygamous households. by religion Christian Muslim Unaffiliated Folk
Polygamy is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa, where 11% of the population lives in arrangements that include more than one spouse. Polygamy is widespread in a cluster of countries in West and Central Africa, including Burkina Faso, (36%), Mali (34%) and Nigeria (28%). In these countries, polygamy is legal, at least to some extent. Muslims in Africa are more likely than Christians to live in this type of arrangement (25% vs. 3%), but in some countries, the practice also is widespread among adherents of folk religions and people who do not identify with a religion. For example, in Burkina Faso, 45% of people who practice folk religions, 40% of Muslims and 24% of Christians live in polygamous households. Chad is the only country in this analysis where Christians (21%) are more likely than Muslims (10%) to live in this type of arrangement.
Religion often plays a role in how polygamy is governed and practiced within a single country. In Nigeria, for example, polygamous marriage is not allowed at the federal level, but the prohibition only applies to civil marriages. Twelve northern, Muslim-majority states do recognize these unions as Islamic or customary marriages. In India, Muslim men are allowed to marry multiple women, while men of other groups are not. However, in countries where polygamy is common, it often is practiced by people of all faiths. That’s the case in Gambia, Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, where at least one-in-ten people in every religious group measured live in households that include husbands with more than one spouse.
In some African countries, sizable minorities  | of people live in polygamous households  | % of individuals in polygamous households. by religion  | Christian Muslim Unaffiliated Folk  | All  | Burkina Faso  | 36%  | 24%  | 40%  | 45%  | Mali  | 34  | 35  | 30  | 14  | Gambia  | 30  | 12  | 30  | the  | 29  | 29  | Nigeria  | 28  | 8  | 40  | 29  | Guinea  | 26  | 10  | 29  | Guinea Bissau  | 23  | 10  | 22  | 23  | 30  | 13 15 17 23  | Senegal  | 23  | 8  | Togo  | 26  | 18  | 31  | Chad  | 21  | 10  | 40  | 9 11 19  | Cameroon  | 26  | 32  | 12  | 19  | 20  | the Coast  | 6  | 12  | 9  | Benin  | 13  | Central African Rep. 8  | 13  | 2  | 12  | 2  | D.R. Congo  | 12  | Note: Dashes indicate that group sizes were too small to present separately.  | Source: Pew Research Center ana alysis of 2010-2018 census and survey data.  | "Religion and Living Arran gements Around the World."  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 