Multiple wives most common among tribals: NFHS data

Abstract

Polygyny or the practice of having more than one wife is legal in India only for Muslims, but National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data shows it is almost as prevalent in other communities, though on the decline in all.

The latest NFHS data from 2019-20 shows the prevalence of polygyny was 1.9% among Muslims, 1.3% among Hindus and 1.6% among other religious groups. This was revealed in an analysis of data from the three NFHS rounds of 2005-06, 2015-16 and 2019-20 done by faculty from the International Institute of Population Studies in Mumbai, which also conducts the NFHS. “Overall, polygynous marriage was found to be higher among poor, uneducated, rural and older women. It indicated that socio-economic factors also played a role in this form of marriage in addition to region and religion,” stated the authors of the recently published research brief, adding that the prevalence of polygyny in India was very low and fading away. [Read More]