The low status of women and a strong preference for male children are two patriarchal constraints in the northern states of India. This analysis explores the regional influence of culture and that of development factors on gender preference effects towards contraception and fertility. Gender preference effects on contraception are the strongest in the western region, followed by the northern and north central regions, and lowest in the south followed by the eastern region. Gender preference effects on fertility also follow a similar regional pattern. Across the regions of India, there is a close correspondence between the degree of son preference and its effects on contraception and fertility, regardless of the level of fertility. Given that key variables that account for socio-economic status variations have been held constant in the models, the region-wise gender preference effects represent the regional influence of culture. However, development factors also have a very substantial counteracting effect on gender preference. There is a reduction in son preference effects on contraception and fertility with increasing levels of women's education and household economic conditions, particularly in the three regions where son preference effects are strongest. Development factors also have a significant independent influence on the use of contraception and recent fertility. However, here also there is a regional pattern relating to this. In summary, women's education and exposure to the mass media are two important developmental indicators that bear a highly significant positive relationship with contraception and a negative relationship with fertility through all regions. However, household economic status as measured by an index of living conditions indicated a strong demand-driven effect on contraception in the northern and north central regions where women have a lower social position. In contrast, in the southern region where contraception is quickly embraced, facilitated by good access to healthcare, economic conditions barely have any effect at all on the use of contraception or recent fertility. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.