Pakistani & Bangladeshi Brits Lead Support for 1st Cousin Marriage

A new poll has revealed that Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in Britain are the most likely to support first cousin marriage, although a large majority think the practice should be outlawed.

Among those polled, 39% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Britons said cousin marriage should be legal.

This contrasts sharply with just eight per cent of white Britons and six per cent of Black Britons who support the practice. Only nine per cent of Indian Britons said it should be legal.

While 47% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Britons said cousin marriage should be outlawed, this is significantly lower than the 77% of white and Indian Britons and 82% of Black Britons who want the practice banned.

In the UK, marrying a first cousin remains legal, unlike unions between closer relatives such as siblings or parents.

The government currently offers ‘genetic counselling’ to couples who are first cousins, advising them on risks when having children.

Experts estimate that children of first cousins have about a six per cent chance of inheriting recessive genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease. This is roughly double the risk faced by the general population.

Among British Pakistanis, cousin marriage is relatively common in some areas.

Data from 2023 showed that in three Bradford wards, 46% of Pakistani mothers were married to a first or second cousin.

However, the overall rate of cousin marriage among British Pakistanis has fallen from an estimated 37% a decade ago.

Reasons cited include higher education levels, stricter immigration controls, and changing family structures.

Iqbal Mohamed, an Independent MP who defended cousin marriage in 2024 amid criticism, urged a “more positive approach” with advanced genetic testing rather than an outright ban.

Professor Dominic Wilkinson, an NHS neonatologist and ethics expert at the University of Oxford, also spoke out against banning cousin marriage.

He called such a move “unethical” and advocated for better access to genetic screening on the NHS.

Private genetic tests can cost around £1,200 and help prospective couples determine if they carry the same genetic conditions. Screening can reduce health risks for children born to cousin couples.

Conservative MP Richard Holden proposed a bill last year to ban cousin marriage, placing it alongside illegal unions such as sibling or parent marriages. But the proposal has not advanced.

YouGov polling showed regional differences in support for cousin marriage, with Londoners most likely to back it at 15%.

The North followed at 12%, the Midlands at 10%, and the South and Wales were least likely at six and seven per cent respectively.

Globally, Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cousin marriage at 65%, followed by Saudi Arabia (50%), Afghanistan (40%), Iran (30%), and Egypt and Turkey (20%).