Nepal mulls legalising polygamy — THESE are the countries where it's still 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.

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.

In Pakistan, polygamy, specifically polygyny, is legally permissible for Muslim men but is restricted to a maximum of four wives.

Like Pakistan, Afghanistan also allows polyandry with up to four wives.

In Sri Lanka, polygamy is allowed for both men and women, i.e., both polygyny and polyandry are common practices.

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.

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.