Literal question
Section B: Individual Characteristics
For persons aged 12 years and above
[Questions 27-28]
27. Marital status
[] 0 Not applicable
[] 1 Single
[] 2 Monogamous (man), first marriage (woman)
[] 3 Polygamous 2 women (man), second marriage (woman)
[] 4 Polygamous 3 women (man), third marriage (woman)
[] 5 Polygamous 4 women (man), fourth marriage (woman)
[] 6 Widowed
[] 7 Divorced or separated
Interviewer instructions
1.2.1. Questions for ALL Household Members
1.2.3. Population aged 12 years and more
27. Column P27: Marital status
The marital status of a person is his or her current status with respect to marriage, given the laws and customs of his or her country. Its determination leads to the distribution of the population between: single (never married), married, widowed, divorced.
The question to be asked to the household members, aged 12 year or more, on their marital status is: "Have you ever been married?"
In Column P27, write down the number corresponding to the answer.
[] 1 Single (never married person)
[] 2 Married man, one wife, or married woman, first marriage
[] 3 Married man, two wives (currently), or married woman, second marriage
[Page 32]
[] 4 Married man, three wives (currently), or married woman, third marriage
[] 5 Married man, four wives (currently), or married woman, fourth marriage
[] 6 Widowed person (person for whom the unique marriage or the last marriage was dissolved by the death of the spouse)
[] 7 Divorced or separated (person for whom the one marriage or the last marriage was dissolved by divorce)
N.B. Marital status always refers to the current status of the person [at time of census], equivalent to his or her last situation.
Particular cases:
a. A man who was married to two wives, who lost the first by death and the second by divorce will be noted (7), that is "divorced".
b. A man who was married to two wives, who lost one of the two by death, must be written as "married to one wife", which corresponds to code (2).
c. A man who was married to three wives, who lost one first by divorce and another one by death, will be noted as married to one wife, and therefore will have code (2), since one marriage still exists.
d. A man who was married to only one wife, who died shortly before, will be noted as "widowed", which corresponds to code (6).
