Interviewer instructions
In column 6, enter only the code for marital status. The categories for marital status and their corresponding codes are as follows:
1 Single
2 Married
3 Widowed
4 Divorced/Separated
5 Unknown
A person is single if he has never been married, or whose marriage has been annulled.
Married is the marital status of a person who has been united in matrimony with another person of opposite sex through a religious or civil rites, or who lives together consensually with another as husband or wife. To be considered married, the couple must still be living together; or, if living apart from each other, the separation must only be temporary.
A person whose marriage has been annulled will be considered as single.
Report as widowed a person who has been married before; whether formally or consensually, if his marital partner has died. In case the widowed has remarried, his marital status is married.
A person is considered divorced/separated, if the partner has left permanently, with or without legal sanctions.
In cases when the respondent cannot give information on the marital status of the HH member, try probing. If he cannot give or refuses to give an answer, enter “5” in column 8 for that member to indicate that the marital status is unknown.
Avoid antagonizing the respondent; do not refute the reported marital status of any member.
