Impact of High Sex Ratios on Urban and Rural China, 2009-2010

From the early 1980s the proportion of male births in China has risen sharply with an average of 120 male births for every 100 female. These unprecedented sex ratio imbalances are now affecting the reproductive age groups, with 20 million excess men of reproductive age by 2020. Yet almost no empirical studies exist which explore this phenomenon, so the consequences of this huge surplus of excess men remains unknown. The overall objective of the study was to explore, through comparisons of urban and rural settings in three provinces, the demographic, social and psychological consequences of high sex ratios on (a) young men, (b) young women and (c) society more generally. <br> <br> The specific objectives were:<ul><li>to compare key socio-demographic indicators for areas with differing sex ratios; </li><li>to explore and understand the experiences of young men and women living in environments with different sex ratios and their perceptions, if any, of the impact of excess males on society;</li><li>to explore the psychological and social impact of the sex ratio for partnered and unpartnered men and women;</li><li>to test hypotheses derived from the literature, including that in high sex ratio areas men are more vulnerable to depression and aggression, women have better mental health with less depression and anxiety, and violent crime and prostitution are more common.</li></ul>Further information may be found on the ESRC <a href="http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/RES-062-23-1097/read" title="The impact of high sex ratios in urban and rural China">The impact of high sex ratios in urban and rural China</a> project award webpage.<br> <br>