Tunisia's ban on polygamy turns 70 as fertility rates decline

TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia marked 70 years since banning polygamy under the Personal Status Code issued on August 13, 1956 and enforced from January 1957. The law was the first in the Arab world to enshrine monogamy in legislation and included provisions on mutual spousal consent, minimum marriage age and judicial divorce, according to the Tunisian Ministry of Justice. The ministry said the code brought a fundamental change in the legal standing of women following independence and has since become integral to national identity. Meanwhile, demographic data show a sharp fertility decline. The average number of children per woman fell from 2.4 in 2015 to 1.6 in 2023, while annual births dropped from 222,000 to 135,000 over the same period. World Bank figures put Tunisia's population at roughly 12.35 million. Experts noted that the polygamy ban alone does not explain the demographic shift, pointing to broader factors such as age structure, education levels and women's labor force participation. No further official statements on the anniversary were immediately available.