Cousin marriage
![Laws regarding first-cousin marriage around the world.1
First-cousin marriage legal
Allowed with restrictions or exceptions
Legality dependent on religion or culture2
Statute bans first-cousin marriage
Banned with exceptions
Criminal offence
No available data
1For information on US states see the map below.
2See sections on India and Hinduism.
Slightly over 10% of all marriages worldwide are estimated to be between second cousins or closer.[3] As of 2001, here is one estimate for the percentages of world population living in countries with various levels of consanguineous marriage: less than 1% consanguinity, 18%, 1–10% consanguinity, 47%, 10–50+% consanguinity, 17%, and unknown, 18%.[15] The overall rate appears to be declining.[23]](/uploads/202501/06/CousinMarriageWorld.svg2358.png)
Cousin marriage is marriage between people with a common grandparent or between people who share another relatively recent ancestor. Such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incestuous and legally prohibited. Such marriages are largely stigmatized in the Western world, but they remain relatively common in the Middle East, where they account for over half of all marriages in some nations. Worldwide, more than one in every ten marriages is between first and second cousins.