Abstract
High ratios of males to females in China have concerned researchers (Sen 1990, Yi et al. 1993) and the recent increase has alarmed policymakers worldwide. This paper presents an analysis of China’s census data that indicates that the “missing girls” phenomenon is causally linked to enforcement of the One Child Policy. Fertility is lower and sex ratios are higher among those under stricter fertility control, and the overall increase in the sex ratio is driven by an increase in the prevalence of sex selection among first and second births. By exploiting regional and temporal variation in fines levied for unauthorized births, I find that higher fine regimes discourage fertility, but are associated with higher ratios of males to females.
- Received February 2008.
- Accepted September 2008.
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Log in using your username and password
Purchase access
In this issue
Jump to section
Related Articles
Cited By...
- Baby Bonus, Fertility, and Missing Women
- Social Norms and the Impact of Early Life Events on Gender Inequality
- Pricing Children, Curbing Daughters: Fertility and the Sex Ratio during Chinas One-Child Policy
- The Impact of Fertility Relaxation on the Gender Wage Gap
- Can Abortion Mitigate Transitory Shocks? Demographic Consequences under Son Preference
- High Sex Ratios and Household Portfolio Choice in China
- Democracy and Demography: Societal Effects of Fertility Limits on Local Leaders
- Prenatal Sex Selection and Missing Girls in China: Evidence from the Diffusion of Diagnostic Ultrasound
- Gender of Children, Bargaining Power, and Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in China