By Julie Burger
A study examining China's 2005 census report estimates that there are 33 million more males than females under the age of 20 in China. The sex ratio started skewing sharply in the late 1980's with the introduction of low cost and portable ultrasounds which would be followed by abortions if the fetus were female. Then the couple would try, try again until a penis was finally observed on the machine's screen. Now, the birth sex ratio stands at 124 boys for every 100 girls. (Worldwide the ratio is 100 girls to 103-107 males.) While the Chinese government's policy may be that couples cannot be told the sex of their baby before it is born, until the government comes up with a better way to enforce this policy, it is going to get population control from a method it didn't expect–-fewer women left to have babies and generations of men who cannot find spouses. In addition, rural areas in China have reported increases in crime and instability–thought to be the result of the growing population of unmarried men.
Hi Julie,
It is a serious problem for China and I don’t know if they have changed their policies lately. But in their society men are valued more than woman, so until something is done the problem is only going to grow worse as couples abort female fetuses and wait for a male.
Hi Julie,
The under supply of women in China is already being felt. Many of the current generation of young men of marriageable age cannot find partners. I suppose this will create it’s own form of birth control.