Edited By Moohita Kaur Garg
Published: Aug 09, 2025,
Nepal is considering legalising polygamy, i.e., the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. The move has triggered an uproar, with critics slamming the move as “regressive”. In today’s day and age, are there other nations that allow polygamy? Does India?
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Countries where polygamy is legal in 2025
Historically, the practice was prevalent across cultures. But today, opponents of polygamy argue that it is an exploitative practice founded upon the belief that women are inherently less worthy than men, given that polygyny, marriages with one man and multiple women, are more common. However, even today, it is legal in several countries, primarily Muslim nations in Africa and Asia.
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United States
In all 50 US states, there are laws against getting married while being married to someone else. However, as per Pew Research, adults in the nation are rarely penalised or prosecuted for living with multiple romantic partners. Up until 1882, this was criminalised.
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Pakistan
In Pakistan, polygamy, specifically polygyny, is legally permissible for Muslim men but is restricted to a maximum of four wives.
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Afghanistan
Like Pakistan, Afghanistan also allows polyandry with up to four wives.
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Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, polygamy is allowed for both men and women, i.e., both polygyny and polyandry are common practices.
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India
In India, polygamy is illegal. However, polygyny is allowed for Muslims. There are also certain sects, like the Christian sect known as “Lalpa Kohhran Thar” that practice polygamy. Recently, the case of a woman named Sunita Chauhan in Himachal Pradesh marrying two brothers – Pradeep Negi and Kapil Negi – under Hatti polyandry tradition also went viral.
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(Photograph: AI-Generated)
Where is Polygamy common?
According to Pew Research polygamy only two (2) per cent of the world’s population lives in a polygamous household. The majority of these individuals reside in Sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 11 per cent have adopted this practice.