Indifferent Gender Preferences among Childless Beijing Citizens

Authors

• Stuart Basten University of Oxford
• Georgia Verropoulou University of Piraeus
• Ma Xiaohong Beijing Population Research Institute
• Yan Ping Beijing Population Research Institute

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23979/fypr.51490

Keywords:

gender indifference, changing patterns, Beijing, urban China

Abstract

Son preference, leading to skewed sex ratios at birth, is an important feature of contemporary Chinese demography, as well as being a critical policy issue. Using a 2006 representative survey, this article explores preferences for boys and girls among childless young adults in a district of Beijing who have a stated one child as their ideal number of children (though they may be eligible to bear more). The descriptive analysis finds no evidence of son-preference; rather an overall indifference to gender. A multivariate analysis provides some indicative evidence of indifference regarding predictors of desiring a girl, a boy or either. gs.