Did the Great Recession affect sex ratios at birth for groups with a son preference?

Soohyung Lee and Chiara Orsini

Economics Letters, 2017, vol. 154, issue C, 48-50

Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which the Great Recession affected gender composition at birth. We focus on ethnic minorities in the US known for a son preference—Chinese, Indians, and Koreans. Using the DID method, we find that in response to the Great Recession, the fraction of newborn boys increased among Chinese Americans. Our results suggest that a cultural norm, namely son preference, may be directly affected by economic conditions.

Keywords: Son preference; Great Recession; Missing Girls; Sex ratios; Fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 J1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Working Paper: Did the Great Recession affect sex ratios at birth for groups with a son preference? (2017)
Working Paper: Did the Great Recession Affect Sex Ratios at Birth for Groups with a Son Preference? (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:154:y:2017:i:c:p:48-50

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2017.02.014

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