What States Is It Legal To Marry Your Cousin?

In 2020 Legal Inquirer had an article about cousin marriage:

Keeping marriage in the family is a very weird concept, and a taboo topic for most people in America. However, there are many countries across the world and even some states in America itself, where cousin marriages are considered to be legal.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures' website (NCSL), it is legal for first cousins to get married in 21 states across the United States of America. And yes, if you are wondering, you can marry your cousin in Alabama. Professor Alan Bittles of Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University in Australia has researched and thoroughly studied cousin marriages for the last three decades.

According to his research, he states that almost 10.4% of the global population are married to a close relative or are the offspring of such a marriage. This means that there are almost 700 million such people worldwide. Quite a lot of people right?

Consanguinity by country 2025

World Population Review has a 2025 article about consanguinity by country:

Inbreeding refers to situations in which individuals who are closely related to one another (such as siblings or cousins) procreate and produce offspring. Inbreeding can occur among humans as well as animals. Inbreeding is uncommon in most developed countries, but contributes a statistically relevant portion of the total number of births in certain developing countries.

The practice of marriages between close relatives (typically cousins) is known as consanguineous marriage. Although rare in the Americas and modern Europe, consanguineous marriage is notably common in North Africa and the Middle East, where it is a traditional and respected aspect of many Arab and Muslim cultures. In many countries, consanguineous marriages and inbreeding are considered illegal. Sexual relations between consanguineous couples is typically referred to as incest in these regions.

What Country has the Highest Rate of Inbreeding in the World?

Although precise per-country data is rare, it is widely accepted that countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Western Asia have the highest rates of inbreeding in the world. Countries with traditionally high rates of consanguineous marriage and inbreeding include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, and Israel.

What Segments of the Human Population are known for Inbreeding?

A certain degree of inbreeding can be difficult to avoid in isolated or cloistered societies, such as the populations of small islands or ethnic/cultural groups such as immigrants or Amish, where the range of possible marriage partners is limited. These conditions can artificially limit potential mates for members of the population, driving up rates of inbreeding.

Relationship with cousin

Three years ago, Reddit had a post about cousin romance:

For the last 6 months I've been in a sexual relationship with my first cousin. I'm 24 and she's 23 and we grew up together. We went to the same elementary school, middle school and high school. I haven't necessarily always had a crush on her. It's something that slowly progressed I'd say within the last 8 years and within the last 2/3 years I just couldn't stop thinking of her.

I hang around her quite often. We just chill together and go to bars together with friends.