Persons resident of 12 years or more of age
[Question P24 was asked of resident persons aged 12 or more.]
(P24) Marital status
Record the abbreviation on the dotted lines and the code in the box
[] 0 Never married
[] 1 Married monogamously
[] 2 Men and women in polygamous union 2 spouses
[] 3 Men and women in polygamous union 3 spouses
[] 4 Men and women in polygamous union 4 spouses or more
[] 5 Widower
[] 6 Divorced
[] 7 Separated
[] 8 Free union
C- Marital status
Column P24: Marital status
The column P24 only concerns resident persons aged 12 or more. For residents under 12 (those born after November 1998), put dashes on the dotted lines.
Marital status is the situation of a person in relation to marriage, which is defined as the union between a man and a woman following law and custom.
Pose the following question: "Is [the respondent] married?"
- If the response is yes, ask the person if their union has been celebrated according to civil, religious, or customary law. If they answer yes, try to find out the number of spouses (if it is a male person) or the number of co-spouses (if it is a female person). Record according to the response the appropriate abbreviation on the dotted lines and the corresponding code in the box.
The possible responses are the following:
1 M1 = "Married monogamous": for any person in union with one spouse.
2 M2 = "M/F in polygamous union 2 spouses": for any man in union with two spouses or for any woman having a co-spouse.
3 M3 = "M/F in polygamous union 3 spouses": for any man in union with three spouses or for any woman having two co-spouses.
4 M4 = "M/F in polygamous union 4 spouses or more": for any man in union with more than three spouse or for any woman having more than two co-spouses.
Example: Amévi declares being married to a man, and that their union is of the customary type. She tells you that she also is a co-spouse. You will record M2 on the dotted lines and 2 in the corresponding box.
If the union is neither customary, religious nor civil, this person is in a free union. Record:
UL on the dotted lines and code 8 in the box.
- If the response is no to the first question ("Is [the respondent] married?") ask the person if they were ever married.
- If they respond no (never married), record:
JM = Never married for any person who has never contracted marriage on the dotted lines and code 0 in the box.
- If they respond yes, that is, they have already been married at least once, you should try to find out if they are widowed, divorced, or separated. Record according to the response, the appropriate abbreviation on the dotted lines and the corresponding code in the box.
[p. 42]
The possible responses are:
5 V = Widowed for any married person who has lost their spouse through death and who has not yet remarried at the time of the census count.
6 D = Divorced for any person whose marriage has ended by divorce and who has not yet remarried at the time of the census count.
7 S = Separated for any initially married person declaring themselves separated at the time of the census count. Separation is a period of conciliation of partners or transitional period awaiting the pronouncement of divorce.
NB 34: For a polygamous man with 3 wives, who has subsequently lost one of them or has divorced one of them, you will record M2 on the dotted lines and code 2 in the box.