Exploring polygamy: Top 10 African countries where the practice thrives

In many countries, marriages are governed by religious or customary law, which means that oversight is in the hands of clerics or community leaders.

Recent data reveal that polygamy rates are high in parts of West and Central Africa, where it remains legal. The share of individuals living in polygamous households is highest in Burkina Faso, Mali and Gambia.

Polygamy also tends to vary based on religious affiliation. Muslims in Africa are more likely than Christians to live in this type of arrangement (25% vs. 3%), but in some countries, the practice is also widespread among adherents of folk religions and people who do not identify with a religion.