Impact of China's 'Son Preference'... "30 Million Men Unable to Find Spouses"

Last Year, Newborn Sex Ratio: 111.3 Males per 100 Females

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The gender imbalance in China's population remains unresolved, with approximately 30 million Chinese men unable to find partners.

On the 17th, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported this citing the recent population census results released by China's National Bureau of Statistics. According to the data, males account for 51.24% of the total population, and females 48.76%. Although the male-biased phenomenon has eased compared to 10 years ago, the male ratio remains higher.

The released data also showed that last year, 12 million newborns were born, with a male-to-female ratio of 111.3 boys per 100 girls.

Professor Stuart Gietzen-Basten of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology commented on the results, saying, "It still shows that son preference remains in China." He added, "With many men already unable to find partners, the number of middle-aged and older men living alone will increase over time."

Additionally, Professor Bj?rn Alfermann of Julius Maximilian University of W?rzburg in Germany pointed out, "Among the 12 million Chinese newborns last year, about 600,000 boys may face difficulties finding brides when they reach adulthood."

China's one-child policy, introduced in 1979 and officially abolished in 2016, is considered to have deepened the public's son preference. SCMP reported that under the situation where only one child was allowed, many preferred sons and increased the number of female fetuses aborted.

There is also a view that many men, especially from low-income groups, are unable to find partners. Professor Chai Yong of the University of North Carolina stated, "Men belonging to lower social classes were outcompeted by men from other classes," suggesting they had a lower chance of finding partners.

Due to the smaller proportion of women, an ironic result has emerged where women's social status has risen. Researcher Isabelle Athein from the French Institute for Demographic Studies said, "More parents are beginning to value daughters more." She predicted that this phenomenon would ease son preference and that the gender ratio in China would gradually balance over the next decade.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.