Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Married women are required by law to obey their husbands was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 2023. ▲ Rising
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico, 1970–2023
Source: Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in (1=yes; 0=no).
Analysis
In 2023, married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico stood at 1 (1=yes; 0=no). That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico peaked at 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0 (1=yes; 0=no), in 1970.
Puerto Rico ranks 1st of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | (1=yes; 0=no) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1971 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1972 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1973 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1974 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1975 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1976 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1977 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1978 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 1 (1=yes; 0=no) is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 (1=yes; 0=no), 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 1 (1=yes; 0=no) is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1 (1=yes; 0=no), 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3 (1=yes; 0=no) | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 1990s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2000s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2010s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 4 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 1 Albania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Algeria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Angola 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Antigua and Barbuda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Argentina 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Armenia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Australia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Austria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Azerbaijan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bahamas 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bangladesh 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Barbados 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belarus 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belgium 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belize 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Benin 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bhutan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bolivia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Botswana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Brazil 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bulgaria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Burkina Faso 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Burundi 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cambodia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cameroon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Canada 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cape Verde 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Central African Republic 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Chad 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Chile 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 China 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Colombia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Comoros 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Congo 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Costa Rica 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cote d'Ivoire 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Croatia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cyprus 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Czechia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Democratic Republic of Congo 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Denmark 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Dominica 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Dominican Republic 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 East Timor 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ecuador 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 El Salvador 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Eritrea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Estonia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Eswatini 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ethiopia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Fiji 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Finland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 France 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Gabon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Gambia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Georgia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Germany 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ghana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Greece 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Grenada 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guatemala 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guinea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guinea-Bissau 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guyana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Haiti 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Honduras 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Hong Kong 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Hungary 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Iceland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 India 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Indonesia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ireland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Israel 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Italy 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Jamaica 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Japan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kazakhstan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kenya 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kiribati 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kyrgyzstan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Laos 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Latvia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lebanon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lesotho 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Liberia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Libya 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lithuania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Luxembourg 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Madagascar 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Malawi 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Maldives 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Malta 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Marshall Islands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mauritius 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mexico 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Micronesia (country) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Moldova 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mongolia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Montenegro 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Morocco 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mozambique 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Myanmar 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Namibia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nepal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Netherlands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 New Zealand 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nicaragua 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Niger 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nigeria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 North Macedonia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Norway 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Oman 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Pakistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Palau 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Panama 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Paraguay 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Peru 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Philippines 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Poland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Portugal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Romania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Russia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Rwanda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Lucia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Samoa 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 San Marino 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Senegal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Serbia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Seychelles 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sierra Leone 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Singapore 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Slovakia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Slovenia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Solomon Islands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Somalia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 South Africa 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 South Korea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 South Sudan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Spain 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sri Lanka 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Suriname 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sweden 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Switzerland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Syria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tajikistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tanzania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Thailand 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Togo 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tonga 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tunisia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Turkey 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uganda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ukraine 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United Arab Emirates 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United Kingdom 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United States 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uruguay 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uzbekistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Vanuatu 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Venezuela 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Vietnam 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Zambia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Zimbabwe 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
More gender data for Puerto Rico
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 304.32 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -3.3 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 2,836 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 2,836 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate -0.4793 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 9,368 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 9,833 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 9,386 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 9,848 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 9,336 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico?
- Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Puerto Rico was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 2023, according to Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest married women are required by law to obey their husbands recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1977.
- What is the lowest married women are required by law to obey their husbands recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1970.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for married women are required by law to obey their husbands?
- Puerto Rico ranks 1st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is married women are required by law to obey their husbands rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Married women are required by law to obey their husbands. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator captures whether family law includes any provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband or penalizing her for disobedience, such as loss of maintenance rights.