Cousin marriages remain common in Punjab, with nearly six in every 10 ever-married women having married a blood relative, according to a new Gallup Pakistan analysis.
However, the practice declines significantly as the education levels of both women and men increase.
The Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics study was based on data from the Punjab Household Panel Survey Baseline. It analyzed responses from 18,599 ever-married women across the province.
The study found that 61.7% of women had married a blood relative, while nearly half of all marriages, or 49%, were between first cousins.
Among first-cousin marriages, 27% involved paternal first cousins, meaning the children of a father’s brother or sister. Another 22% involved maternal first cousins, including the children of a mother’s brother or sister.
Education was identified as one of the strongest factors associated with lower rates of cousin marriage. Among women with no formal education, 69% had married a blood relative. The rate fell to 48% among women with higher education.
A similar pattern was found among men, with higher levels of education linked to lower rates of marriage between blood relatives.
The survey also found a strong connection between age at marriage and cousin marriage. Women who married before the age of 16 had the highest rate of marriage within the family, at 72%.
The proportion gradually declined as the age at marriage increased. Among women who married at age 26 or older, 51% had married a blood relative.
The findings also showed clear geographical differences. In rural Punjab, 65.7% of women reported marrying within the family, compared with 54% in urban areas.
According to the report, improved access to education and delayed marriage are associated with a gradual decline in cousin marriages in Punjab.
Medical experts have long warned that marriages between close blood relatives may increase the risk of certain inherited genetic disorders in children. However, the level of risk depends on the family’s medical history and other genetic factors.
The report suggests that expanding educational opportunities, increasing public awareness, and discouraging child and early marriages could further reduce the prevalence of marriages between blood relatives in the province.
The post 6 Out of 10 Women in Punjab Marry Their Cousins appeared first on ProPakistani.