RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Can Abortion Mitigate Transitory Shocks? Demographic Consequences under Son Preference
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0320-10808R3
DO 10.3368/jhr.0320-10808R3
A1 Jung, Jaehyun
YR 2023
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2023/11/01/jhr.0320-10808R3.abstract
AB This paper investigates abortion in response to drought-induced transitory income shocks and how son preference regulates such adjustments for rural mothers in Vietnam. I find that affected mothers were 30 percent more likely to obtain abortions when they were unable to smooth consumption. Importantly, drought is associated with disproportionately more abortions of female fetuses, which exacerbates the male-biased sex ratio at birth. Although a rebound in birth rates after approximately two years suggests that the effects of drought are pertinent to the timing of fertility, transitory shocks under son preference can have long-term demographic consequences by increasing the number of “missing girls”.