Episode

Why are more couples signing prenups before marriage?

Podcast
What in the World
Published
Apr 21, 2026
Duration seconds
623
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not_requested
Canonical source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct98zk
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/v1/public/podcasts/what-in-the-world-6570991/episodes/why-are-more-couples-signing-prenups-before-marriage
Markdown
/podcast/what-in-the-world-6570991/why-are-more-couples-signing-prenups-before-marriage.md

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Summary

For better for worse, for richer for poorer…but first, can we sign a prenup? You might have heard about them in relation to celebrity divorce scandals, or even in songs, but recent data suggests prenups aren’t just for the rich and famous anymore. A prenup is a legal arrangement made by a couple before they marry or enter into a civil partnership, which sets out plans for how their wealth will be divided if they divorce. Polls in the US, Canada and the UK show that over half of Gen Z would consider signing one and there’s even a growing number of apps to help you draw up the contract. So — why are prenups on the rise? And what does it say about modern marriage? BBC journalist Chelsea Coates breaks down the data behind this - and talks us through the reasons why more of Gen Z are considering signing one. Basma El Atti, a BBC reporter based in Nairobi, explains how marriage differs across the African continent and how conversations around finance before getting married are changing. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates and Benita Barden Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy