English sociologists asked respondents if they would consider such an option if it were legal and acceptable:
- Polygyny (one man, several women) was approved by 32% of men and 5% of women. Men were six times more likely to say yes.
- Polyandry (one woman, several men) - 9% of men and 11% of women. Some women (and their children) constitute a heavy financial burden. In Islamic countries where polygamy is allowed, only 1.5% to 5% of men have two or more wives. Apparently, this is the limit of the share of resourceful men in any society - up to 5%. The only exception is the Mormons. Formally, polygamy among them was banned in the United States at the end of the 19th century, but even today, in their most radical movements, 15-20% of men have several wives (the founder of Mormonism, Young, had 56 wives). To achieve this, Mormon communities developed the practice of expelling excess men from the communities. Expulsion of men is an important step for conversion, the spread of Mormonism. These "extra men" involve adulterous women in it.
The annual growth rate of Mormons worldwide is 1.5-2.3%, and historians say that only the early Christians and early Muslims grew at that average rate.