Often, those considerations draw on religious beliefs: The Quran allows a man to take up to four wives. In Fundamentalist Mormonism, there is no set limit to the number of wives in one marriage.

Is there a limit on polygamy?

Polygamy is banned throughout much of the world, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which has said that “polygamy violates the dignity of women,” called for it to “be definitely abolished wherever it continues to exist.” But there often are limits to government administration of marriages.

Who is the biggest polygamist?

Canadas Merlin Blackmore belongs to the worlds largest polygamous family based in Bountiful, British Columbia. His father, 64-year-old Winston Blackmore has 27 wives and 150 children. After nearly 21 years, Merlin, 19, has opened up about how it feels to live in a huge polygamous cult.