The Kayoro population is traditional, agrarian, rural, isolated, and impoverished. Over 80 percent of adults are illiterate. In Kayoro, male dominance is assured by marriage custom and one-third of families are polygynous. Many women marry in their teens and there is a large age difference between spouses. Religion is traditional and includes ancestor worship.
Soothsayers control the access to ancestors.
Of course, only men can consult soothsayers. The society is pronatalist and women have on average more than five children in their lifetime. With high levels of infant and child mortality, about one in four children do not see their fifth birthday. Infectious diseases and diseases of malnutrition are prevalent. Although immunization has had its successes, many can remember measles epidemics that wiped out all of the children within certain families.