C URRENT M ARITAL S TATUS

Table 4.1 shows current marital status by age and sex. Fifty-seven percent of women and 48 percent of men age 15-49 are currently in a union; 42 percent and 38 percent, respectively, are married and 14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, are living together with a partner. A higher proportion of men (48 percent) than women (33 percent) have never been married. In combination, the percentage who are divorced, separated, or widowed is almost three times as high among women as among men (11 percent and 4 percent, respectively).

The proportion of women and men who have never been married decreases sharply with age, from more than 9 in 10 respondents age 15-19 to 1 percent of women and 4-5 percent of men in the 40-49 age group.

By contrast, the proportion of currently married women increases rapidly from 2 percent among women age 15-19 to 19 percent among those age 20-24 and peaks at 65 percent among women age 35-44.

Among men, the percentage currently married also increases sharply with age, from less than 1 percent in the youngest age group to 5 percent among those age 20-24 and a high of 79-80 percent among men age 40-49.

T

Key Findings:

• Median age at first marriage increased somewhat between the 2008 and 2014 GDHS surveys, from 19.8 to 20.7 years among women age 25-49 and from 25.9 years to 26.4 years among men age 30-59.

• The proportion of women married by age 15 ranges from 2 percent among women age 15-19 to 11 percent among women age 45-49.

• Ghanaian men marry later than women.

• The proportion of currently married women and men in polygynous unions is on the decline. Over the last six years, it has decreased from 18 percent to 16 percent among women and from 9 percent to 7 percent among men age 15-49.

• The median age at first sexual intercourse among respondents age 25-49 is lower among women (18.4 years) than among men (19.8 years).

• Overall, 44 percent of never-married men have never had sexual intercourse, as compared with 38 percent of never-married women.

• Eleven percent women and 5 percent men age 25-49 had their first sex by age 15, and 44 percent of women and 27 percent of men had their first intercourse by age 18.

• Forty-three percent of women and 46 percent of men age 15-49 were sexually active during the four weeks preceding the survey.

The proportion of respondents who are divorced, separated, or widowed tends to increase with age among both women and men.

Table 4.1 Current marital status

Percent distribution of women and men age 15-49 by current marital status, according to age, Ghana 2014

Marital status

together Divorced Separated Widowed WOMEN

Marital unions are predominantly of two types, those that are monogamous and those that are polygynous. The distinction has social significance and probable fertility implications, although the association between union type and fertility is complex and not well understood. Polygyny, the practice of having more than one wife, has connotations for the frequency of sexual intercourse and thus may have an effect on fertility. The extent of polygyny in Ghana was measured by asking all currently married female respondents whether their husband or partner had other wives (co-wives) and, if so, how many. Currently married men were also asked whether they had one or more wives or partners with whom they were living.

Tables 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 show the percent distribution of currently married women with co-wives and the percentage of currently married men with two or more wives. The data show that, overall, the majority of Ghanaian women (84 percent) and men (93 percent) age 15-49 are in monogamous unions.

Thirteen percent of women have one co-wife, and 2 percent have two or more co-wives.

The percentage of respondents in polygynous unions increases with age among both women and men. For example, 9 percent of women age 15-19 report that they have co-wives, as compared with 23 percent in the 45-49 age group. Polygyny is more prevalent in the rural areas, with 20 percent of women and 10 percent of men age 15-49 being in polygynous unions. Across the regions, polygyny among women is highest in Northern (42 percent) and lowest in Greater Accra (8 percent). Among men, it is highest in the Northern region (27 percent) and lowest in the Western, Central, and Ashanti regions (2 percent each).

The data further show that education and wealth are negatively associated with polygyny among both women and men. Thirty-one percent of women with no education are in a polygynous union compared with 5 percent of those with a secondary or higher education. Similarly, the percentage of men in a polygynous union decreases from 22 percent among those with no education to 3 percent among those with a secondary or higher education. Polygyny is highest among the poorest respondents; 36 percent of women and 23 percent of men in the lowest quintile are in a polygynous union.

Marriage and Sexual Activity • 51 Polygyny has decreased somewhat since the 2008 GDHS survey, from 18 percent to 16 percent

among women and from 9 percent to 7 percent among men.

Table 4.2.1 Number of women’s co-wives

Percent distribution of currently married women age 15-49 by number of co-wives, according to background characteristics, Ghana 2014

Number of co-wives

Number of women Background

characteristic 0 1 2+ Don’t know Total Age

15-19 87.6 9.1 0.0 3.3 100.0 104

20-24 87.3 10.0 1.9 0.9 100.0 606

25-29 88.8 9.4 0.9 0.7 100.0 1,062 30-34 85.3 11.8 2.3 0.6 100.0 1,078 35-39 83.7 14.0 1.9 0.4 100.0 1,040

40-44 77.5 17.4 4.6 0.5 100.0 821

45-49 76.4 19.0 4.1 0.5 100.0 611

Residence

Urban 88.5 9.4 1.3 0.7 100.0 2,664 Rural 79.0 16.9 3.5 0.5 100.0 2,657

Region

Western 89.2 8.9 0.9 1.1 100.0 547

Central 88.9 10.5 0.2 0.2 100.0 532 Greater Accra 91.2 6.4 1.3 1.1 100.0 1,005

Volta 77.0 18.3 4.4 0.4 100.0 405

Eastern 88.9 9.5 0.6 1.0 100.0 500

Ashanti 90.6 7.4 1.4 0.5 100.0 969

Brong Ahafo 83.6 13.4 2.5 0.5 100.0 439 Northern 57.2 34.4 7.9 0.4 100.0 561 Upper East 67.7 27.3 5.0 0.0 100.0 218 Upper West 75.0 19.2 5.7 0.1 100.0 146

Education

No education 68.4 24.7 6.2 0.7 100.0 1,478

Primary 85.1 12.7 1.9 0.2 100.0 979

Middle/JSS/JHS 89.9 8.6 0.6 0.8 100.0 2,063 Secondary+ 94.5 4.4 0.5 0.5 100.0 801

Wealth quintile

Lowest 63.0 29.7 6.7 0.6 100.0 1,016

Second 83.1 13.2 3.3 0.4 100.0 964

Middle 85.7 12.1 1.1 1.0 100.0 1,001 Fourth 90.3 8.5 0.6 0.5 100.0 1,090 Highest 93.8 4.6 0.8 0.6 100.0 1,250

Total 83.7 13.2 2.4 0.6 100.0 5,321

Note: Totals may not add up to 100 percent because women with missing information have been deleted.

Table 4.2.2 Number of men’s wives

Percent distribution of currently married men age 15-49 by number of wives, according to background characteristics, Ghana 2014

Number of wives Note: An asterisk indicates that a figure is based on fewer than 25 unweighted cases and has been suppressed.