Legality of polygamy

  Polygamy is legal only for Muslims
  Polygamy is legal
  Polygamy is illegal, but not criminalised in practice
  Polygamy is illegal and criminalised in practice
  Legal status unknown
  • In Nigeria and South Africa, polygamous marriages under customary law and for Muslims are legally recognized.

The legal status of polygamy varies widely around the world. Polygamy is legal in 58 out of nearly 200 sovereign states, the vast majority of them being Muslim-majority countries. Some countries that permit polygamy have restrictions, such as requiring the first wife to give her consent.

In countries that ban polygamy, the offence is commonly called bigamy, though the penalty varies between jurisdictions. In some countries where polygamy is illegal, the prohibition is not enforced.

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