Utilizing data from the 1982, 1990, 2000 and 2005 China Census, we find that children’s
gender affects their living arrangements and there are five related channels to interpret this
phenomenon. Generally when unmarried, having a first-born son increases the probability of
subsequent marriage. When married, having a first-born son decreases the probability of parent
migration and decreases the probability of divorce. When divorced, having a first-born son
increases the probability of father custody. Therefore, first-born sons are less likely to be living
without father, mother or either parent compared to first-born daughters. One explanation for the
above findings is that parents prefer sons over daughters. In addition, we find an increasing trend
over time in son preference in China