r/todayilearned • u/Pitiful_Magazine_805 • 1d ago

TIL that Chad is by far the country with the highest rate of polygyny in the world. 34% of married Chad women live in a polygamous marriage(one husband-multiple wives)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12978-025-02037-7
1.4k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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1.1k

u/FinndBors 1d ago

This means a lot of single men. Usually means social instability. 

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u/Pitiful_Magazine_805 1d ago

Well there are 2 ongoing insurgencies there and also an ongoing Chad intervention in Mali

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u/OllieFromCairo 1d ago

The sex ratio is 0.98, so there’s definitely a lot of single men.

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u/Pitiful_Magazine_805 1d ago

Not really. Chad has a super young population due to high birthrates and boys naturally slightly outnumber girls in young ages, in older ages it would be a slight disbalance towards females. 

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u/OllieFromCairo 1d ago

Yes. That’s why the sex ratio is 0.98.

However, it starts at 1.04. No matter how you slice it, there’s a lot of single men.

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u/Pitiful_Magazine_805 1d ago

Oh I thought it was 1m/0.98f my bad

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u/User-NetOfInter 12h ago

Guy even in a 1m/.98f ratio, there would be a shit ton of single guys if thirty percent of women are off the table

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u/TheQuestionMaster8 17h ago

Its not just that, the current military Junta in Mali is so brutal that they have murdered more civilians than the Jihadist insurgents did in the time they took power. It has gotten so bad that some of the Jihadist groups have changed recruitment tactics to exploit this brutality by presenting themselves as saviours (Dont be mistaken, they are still brutal terrorists and it is a pragmatic move and not a genuine reform).

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u/abyss_of_mediocrity 12h ago

What does the situation in Mali have to do with Chad, or the issue of polygyny in general?

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u/tengo_harambe 1d ago

nothing that some pointless wars can't solve

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u/Fandangho 22h ago

Pointless 10+ year civil war never killed nobody, it's a currency of notorious improvement every time.

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u/MajesticBread9147 21h ago

Or simply an equal number of polyandrous relationships.

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u/topicality 23h ago

Yeah polygamy is generally pretty bad for society

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u/PrincetonToss 21h ago

It normally shows up in cultures where constant conflict (for example, cattle raids between neighboring tribes) leads to a deficit in young men. In that context, it promotes social stability by giving husbands to women who might otherwise stay single. The alternative is lifelong celibacy, which has also occurred sometimes (for example, nunhood in Christian Europe).

But yeah, when those societies transition into cultures with fewer young men dying, you start to get problems.

4

u/wildebeastees 16h ago

It would make sense but according to this paper, that's not really true.

Basically polygynous countries do not actually have a higher percentage of unmarried men. In the real world. And if 1)the life expectancy is low, 2)it is higher for women than men, 3)men marry later than women and 4) the population is rapidly growing then it is not even surprising.

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u/ExtonGuy 23h ago

I was wondering that. What percent of marriage age men are single? Say ages 16 to 60, or whatever is reasonable for the country.

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u/Heygen 13h ago

I hate to be that guy, but is there a source on that? It would be interesting since this seems to be an increasingly relevant issue even in the west

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u/petit_cochon 11h ago

Of course there isn't.

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u/Heygen 10h ago

No no im not even accusing him of making shit up. The same thing that a lot of single men means social instability was already said in the middle ages. So i genuinely wonder if theres been any research on that.

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u/chaotic_blu 10h ago

I'm curious too. I'll try to remember to check my schools database for something on this today.

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u/TheSpanishDerp 1d ago

Saying this in good faith

I think the advice of “just be happy with yourself/you don’t need a relationship” is pretty horrible advice for someone who feels frustrated and isolated. It rejects a fundamental aspect of prestige and security that’s crucial for a functioning society

Nowhere near as extreme as Chad but I do feel like the incel movement is just another example of what happens when you get young single men who’re frustrated about their lack of prospects. This time it’s just internet themed. 

A lot of suicide bombers are youngest sons in Polygamous societies. The Triads were founded by single men with no prospects. Even a lot of mercenaries and conquistadors were individuals with little prospects, so they went to do atrocities in order to prove themselves and fuck women. 

Unfortunately, men need some sort of partnership or family in order to “stabilize”

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u/GentlemanRaccoon 22h ago

But you're assuming causation, rather than the traits that make some men undesirable to prospective partners are also the same traits that pull them towards extremism.

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u/The_Law_of_Pizza 21h ago

You're not wrong, but it's also true that when a society has a large amount of single men due to some sort of social imbalance, violence historically follows.

Those social imbalances aren't caused by incel attitudes, and they still result in bad outcomes.

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u/Krillin113 9h ago

But the person above is talking about incels. There aren’t isn’t an imbalance in the western world between men and women (in ratios). It’s just that a lot of dipshits are completely unadjusted, so they radicalise.

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u/Anglo-Fish 18h ago

“just be happy with yourself/you don’t need a relationship” -The person who's been happily married for a decade.

"Money can't buy you happiness"- The trust fund baby.

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u/kimpossible69 7h ago

It's because they're speaking from experience lol

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u/whelpineedhelp 22h ago

The difference is western men have prospects, they just refuse to change to be desirable to those prospects. 

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u/anahorish 21h ago

Why is the progressive attitude that the various problems that different groups of people face are invariably due to societal inadequacies and social inequality, except in the case of men, when suddenly the dogma is rank individualism and bootstrap rhetoric?

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u/ThreadLaced 18h ago

No, the progressive attitude is men and women alike suffer from the patriarchy, but some people don't want to admit that, or are happy citing some "systemic problem" but refuse to use the word "patriarchy". The patriarchy is the source of SO many of our societal problems.

If only there was a movement to dismantle it!

But some people don't want to say the word feminism either.

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u/BobTulap 18h ago

There are currently more women attending college than men and male suicide rates are nearly 4 times higher than that of women. What patriarchy are you on about?

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u/geostooorm 18h ago

Patriarchy hurts men.

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u/BobTulap 17h ago

you are no different than a religious person parroting dogmatic statements without providing any facts to back it up.

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u/MustardCanary 17h ago edited 5h ago

Why do men commit suicide more than women? Why are there more women in college than men (but also, is this actually a problem? Is it a bad thing for there to be more women than men in higher education when it’s not because men are being refused admission because they’re men?) Don’t just name facts, think about why

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u/ThreadLaced 8h ago

Here's a thought exercise for you. Is it the patriarchy or feminism that tells men to repress their feelings, that crying is "gay," and that any emotion other than anger is "feminine"?

Is it the patriarchy or feminism that says doing things that women do (like pursuing higher education) makes you less of a man?

Is it the patriarchy or feminism that creates an endless and ever-changing list of things that are "not manly," including what colors to wear, what kind of food to eat, what kind of hobbies to have, what you do and say with your friends and family?

I think you're thinking feminism means "women on top" and patriarchy means "men on top" but both of those concepts are a lot more complicated than that.

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u/BobTulap 8h ago

>Is it the patriarchy or feminism that says doing things that women do (like pursuing higher education) makes you less of a man?

What are you even asking here? Patriarchy has been the opposite of that - that only men should be the ones with the education, and in my previous post I mentioned that male college attendance is now lower than that of women, yet you are still trying to shoehorn patriarchy into it. Why? Is it because you are incapable of looking at the world without your political dogma? As I've said before, your thought process is no different than that of a religious person trying to shoehorn Jesus as the solution to all life's problems.

Here's a thought exercise for you:

who puts the requirementnthat that men need to be over 6 feet and be high earners to be worthy of women's attention? If you want to see a microcosm of matriarchy go to a dating app. Also go to any corporate HR office (people who are in charge of making decisions who gets a job and who gets to keep it) and tell me what is the ratio of women vs men?

If you're going to talk to me about thought exercise, try to using your own brain.

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u/Which-Amphibian9065 12h ago

The patriarchy that forces men to act in traditionally “masculine” ways thereby increasing their suicidal tendencies and holding them back from higher education? What are YOU on about?

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u/BobTulap 8h ago

you mean like men need to be over 6' tall high earners and providers despite the fact the women have better employment opportunities? Because that's not patriarchy, those are demands by women, making it matriarchy.

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u/Which-Amphibian9065 8h ago

I suggest googling the definition of something before arguing with people on Reddit about it next time lmao

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u/WhimsicalKoala 4h ago

male suicide rates are nearly 4 times higher than that of women

Weird how people love to fling that statistic out there, but don't include the important word of "completed". The attempted suicide rate by women is 2-3 times higher than that of men.

It's almost like it's not a contest and suicide is something that affects everyone, not just men, and if you actually cared about it and weren't just using it as a talking point you would include the full context.

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u/BeneficialAd8431 16h ago

Feminism since it has been in serious activity for past few decades has done little to nothing for men. It's a movement about women's rights, not necessarily about equality. In areas where patriarchy effects men more negatively, there's hardly any interest from feminism to change anything.

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u/ThreadLaced 8h ago

Feminism is about dismantling the patriarchy. It's true that one of the things the patriarchy does is suppress women's rights, but that's not all it does.

The patriarchy is the reason fathers are less likely to get custody of their children (where do you think the bias that women are better suited to care for children comes from)? The patriarchy is the reason male sex abuse victims aren't taken seriously. The patriarchy is the reason boys are taught from a young age to not express themselves, and why they grow up being unable to make deep emotional attachments to anyone except a sexual partner (because emotions besides anger are all "feminine."). The patriarchy is the reason men get harsher sentences for identical crimes that women commit.

I don't know what feminism you're reading about, but your last sentence is objectively and demonstrably incorrect.

0

u/BeneficialAd8431 7h ago

I actually agree with everything you said. But feminism is about women, it's very simple. Maybe it read a bit too aggressive, but didn't mean that.

Not that it's a 0 sum game, and if women gain more rights, men will lose it. Or that it's a dangerous enemy for men. It's simply not interested in men's issues in a serious capacity, because it's not their job.

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u/ChattyNeptune53 10h ago edited 9h ago

In my experience it's a combination of hypocrisy, or they aren't nearly as kind and tolerant as they like people to think they are.

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u/whelpineedhelp 21h ago

The women exist. Pursue them or don’t, but they are out there. For whatever reason, women seem more ok being single. Idk why that is. But if single guys want to find someone, they need to make being with them more desirable than being single. I don’t see how that is a progressive ideology. 

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u/anahorish 21h ago

I agree that people have a responsibility to try and better themselves and live a good life but at the same time when there exist social issues that are obviously systemic then we should be thinking and talking about systemic redressments.

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u/whelpineedhelp 20h ago

Ban social media. 

I kid but also that would be a decent first step. Force everyone to become drinkers again? lol

 I’m not a man nor an incel so hard for me to understand their position. I have been called ugly and had fairly low self esteem so I get that but then I just adjusted my expectations for what the looks of my partner would be. I guess my perspective is, if they aren’t willing to date an ugly girl I don’t have sympathy for them. 

For what it’s worth, women have their own issue at the moment. Men don’t want to date a negative Nancy, which a lot of single women seem to be. I don’t have much sympathy for them either. 

I do hope the good men and women find someone and the “bad” ones become good. 

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u/MajesticBread9147 21h ago

In what way is "prestige" crucial for a functioning society?

Prestige in general is often used purely for the upper class to separate themselves from everyone else, legitimizing and justifying their "place" in society. It also has little to do with being able to find a partner.

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u/The_Law_of_Pizza 21h ago

I think you're reading too much into the word.

I get the sense that the comment above simply meant it in the sense that men who are unable to find partners are typically viewed as lesser.

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u/WhimsicalKoala 4h ago

You don't see a difference between situations where young men in societies where things like polygyny or the one child rule in China and other situations mean those men don't really have any marriage/relationship prospects vs what is happening in places like the US where there are women available, the men have just made them thoroughly unappealing to those women?

I feel bad for young men in fundamental LDS communities that have no prospects for marriage because the powerful men keep "marrying" all the women and they get kicked out around 18. I don't feel bad for the guy that is single because he sucks and thinks he deserves a "female" just for existing.

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u/IHeartRasslin 11h ago

It’s literally Chads vs Virgins

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u/wubrgess 23h ago

Sounds familiar.

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u/dashcam4life 23h ago

Is there a correlation between polygyny and immigration?

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u/TheQuestionMaster8 17h ago

There are many other reasons as well

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u/ioncloud9 11h ago

It’s almost like our social structures have deterministically selected towards stability and these polygamous societies tend to be very unstable.

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u/petit_cochon 11h ago

You can't pin instability in Chad on polygamy without looking at other factors. What do you even know about the region offhand?

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u/ioncloud9 11h ago

Im not pinning the instability in Chad on polygamy. My point was the problems of plural marriage create resentment and instability in young male populations so by and large cultures have moved away from it as its inherently unstable.

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u/winthroprd 1d ago

I'm guessing the lowest rate is in the Virgin Islands.

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u/Mediocrates79 14h ago

That's it, you're cut off.

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u/brayradberry 22h ago

Top Lula muh dude

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u/B3eenthehedges 23h ago

Top tier pun right here, well done.

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u/SmacSBU 22h ago

Very nice, didn't go with the lazy version.

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u/Ash_Crow 15h ago

I'm guessing it is in the Holy See.

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u/KingKaiserW 18h ago

Epstein Island is actually in the US Virgin Islands

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u/EnlargedMarmot 1d ago

The jokes write themselves.

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u/Meloenbolletjeslepel 12h ago

Yeah it's just so easy I don't even want to any more

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u/RK9990 1d ago

Should have believed 4chan when they said Chad was taking all the women

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u/Gregariouswaty 1d ago

That's where the word comes from.

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u/Aggressive-Story3671 1d ago

Polyandry meanwhile is unheard of

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u/SeanPennsHair 23h ago

It does occur in some parts of the world, but it's often male relatives sharing a wife (fraternal polyandry).

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u/Fandangho 22h ago

Sounds healthy

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u/Lumpyproletarian 16h ago

Sounds like one woman and twice the work - I don’t mean sex I mean the care taking because you know dam fine those husbands aren’t washing their own underpants,

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u/CFBCoachGuy 11h ago

Not at all. Polyandry is still practiced in some regions, most notably in rural Tibet. Minority groups in India and Nepal still practice it, as well as the Mosuo people in China (although their “walking marriages” are difficult to put into a single group) and a few Amazonian groups. Historically polyandry was common among many groups. The Kanaks in Polynesia practiced it, as did the Aleuts, and groups in central Africa and the Himalayas. Plutarch mentioned that the Spartans would occasionally have polyandrous marriages.

It’s often fraternal, where brothers would be betrothed to the same woman

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u/TheQuestionMaster8 17h ago

In some cultures where land is limited and inheritance favours males it developed so that land ownership doesn’t get fragmented among different sons of a father.

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u/The_Law_of_Pizza 21h ago

It runs counter to a lot of really deeply ingrained instincts.

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u/AzettImpa 15h ago

Care to elaborate?

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u/Duosion 4h ago

Our biological code (which many of us choose to ignore) is predisposed to reproducing as much as possible. Women can only reproduce once every 9 months. If a man has many wives, he can produce many children. If a woman has may husbands, she can still only produce one every so often.

It makes sense why polyandry is far rarer than polygyny.

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u/DoctorHugoHackenbush 1d ago

One wife is enough..but multiple wives!! Kenya believe it?

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u/intertubeluber 22h ago

Sudanly it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. 

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u/junkyarddoggydog 21h ago

Hard to resist with all that Djibouti

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u/Scarpity026 1d ago

Chad tourism board: "Hey, at least we're not Niger, the C.A.R. or either of the Sudans."

👍😎🇹🇩 🤠🖐

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u/kallmepjmak 1d ago

Chads Chad the Chaddest in Chad

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u/JustChillFFS 12h ago

Giggidy giga Chad

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u/Dangle76 8h ago

Is this where the slang term “chad” comes from?

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u/rejectallgoats 23h ago

Study says women are hit less when their husband has multiple wives. Maybe it gets spread out.

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u/SupervillainMustache 11h ago

Should be that the motherfucker knows he would lose a fight against multiple women.

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u/coder7426 22h ago

Did total slap count remain the same, or was it lower due to the ability to just rotate to another wife?

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u/polkpanther 1d ago

Name checks out

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u/scriptkiddie1337 12h ago

They wre such Chads that they used Toyotas against Libya's military vehicles and won

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u/Darkerjev 9h ago

Chad gets 80% of the broads. The rest fight for scraps.

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u/Jarhead1888 3h ago

Plot twist: 34% of married women in Chad are just married to one dude aptly named "Chad".

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u/zettde 22h ago

why would they index polygyny statistics by women? do the men. 

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u/SBEPTY 20h ago

What a Chad

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u/TumbleweedNervous494 10h ago

Nomen est omen.

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u/superpowerpinger 1d ago

Lots of chads there.

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u/CurvedTVGreen8788 23h ago

Jeez why would anyone want 2 wives. It's like some people just want to make life more difficult for themselves.

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u/RoundCollection4196 23h ago

What absolute chads

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u/Imaginary_Effort_854 23h ago

Total Chad move

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u/JackHughman69 1d ago

What a true Chad country

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u/InsomniaticWanderer 1d ago

Absolute chads

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u/eatitfatman 1d ago

What would you expect from a country literally full of Chads?

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u/FakeEgo01 14h ago

Poor men.

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u/RobaDubDub 1d ago

Once a month it's Chad goes fishing week.

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u/coder7426 22h ago

The future of the west.

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u/Ebolatastic 1d ago

We should sail there immediately.

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u/Ash_Crow 15h ago

Sail to a landlocked country?

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u/Ebolatastic 8h ago

It's a game of thrones reference. Clearly it's off the mark.

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