Son preference and sex composition of children: evidence from India.
Although the effect of son preference on sex composition of children ever born is undetectable in national-level estimates that aggregate across all families, this article provides empirical evidence from India that son preference has two pronounced and predictable family-level effects on the sex composition of children ever born. First, data from India show that smaller families have a significantly higher proportion of sons than larger families. Second, socially and economically disadvantaged couples and couples from the northern region of India not only want but also attain a higher proportion of sons, if the effects of family size are controlled.
Clark
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Population Council, New York, NY 10017, USA. sclark@popcouncil.org
D003657:Decision Making; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012923:Social Class