A multinomial model of fertility choice and offspring sex ratios in India

Type Working Paper - The Journal of Development Studies
Title A multinomial model of fertility choice and offspring sex ratios in India
Author(s)
Volume 46
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2010
Page numbers 417-438
URL http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220380903012755#.VdntO_ntmko
Abstract
We use the fertility histories of over 70,000 Indian women from the Third National Family and Health Survey to investigate the relationship between family size and offspring sex ratios in India. We find that families with three or more children exhibit gender equality in offspring sex ratios. In families with one or two children, however, there are less than 800 daughters for every 1000 sons. Thus, we find an ‘intensification’ effect – namely, a positive correlation between family size and female-male offspring sex ratios. Our results indicate that greater wealth and paternal education may increase parents' access to and affordability of sex-selection technologies, thereby allowing them to choose both the sex of their children as well as a smaller family size.

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