When birth ratios reveal what we’re not meant to see
Some groups in Australia are quietly reshaping the natural balance of boys and girls at birth, with new evidence showing patterns consistent with a preference for sons over daughters.
An analysis of 2.1 million registered births in Western Australia and New South Wales from 1994 to 2015 shows that the usual balance of about 105 boys for every 100 girls is not consistent across all maternal birthplaces, with most populations globally expected to fall within 104 to 107 boys for every 100 girls once parental factors are considered. Mothers born in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand stayed within this natural range, while mothers born in China, India and Vietnam recorded higher ratios, including 105 to 109 boys for every 100 girls for Indian born mothers, 107 to 110 for Chinese born, and 105 to 109 for Vietnamese born. The imbalance intensified with each previous daughter, with Indian born mothers recording 114 boys for every 100 girls after one daughter and 132 after two daughters, and Chinese born mothers showing 111 and 133 respectively, while Australian born mothers remained near the expected 105 to 107. Early fetal sex determination is possible from ten weeks of pregnancy and abortion on request is available up to about twenty two to twenty four weeks in many parts of the country, creating conditions in which sex selective practices could arise. These findings raise important questions about gender preferences and how reproductive technologies might be influencing birth patterns.
The most plausible explanation is sex selective decision making facilitated by early fetal sex identification and broad access to abortion.
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