How do Gender Preferences Affect Number of Children in a Family?

According to Bongaarts low fertility model, gender preferences tend to help increase fertility rate. It is believed that when both children’s gender and number are taken into account in family’s fertility plan and child-bearing behavior, couples would be very likely to bear more kids in attempt to achieve the ideal sex structure, even if their expectation for children in number has been met.

Chinese people show very strong gender preferences especially for sons partly because of its agricultural-dominated life style, which has been indicated by many- years abnormal high sex ratio at birth. Meanwhile, China has seen its fertility rate dropped below replacement level since 1990s. How do gender preferences affect China’s fertility level?

Based on national survey data, this paper explores the relationship between gender preferences and the number of children in China urban families. Results show gender preference does not necessarily mean male preference in contemporary China, but diversifies and no gender preference accounts for the highest percentage among urban married young people with children. Preference for both boys and girls will be likely to increase the number most, no preference to decrease the number most, and female preference tends to increase the number more than boy preference.