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Gender Imbalance (China)
A demographic consequence of the One-Child Policy combined with traditional preference for male children. Sex-selective abortions and female infanticide led to a significant imbalance in the male-to-female ratio among births: by 2005, China recorded approximately 120 male births per 100 female births. This produced a generation of surplus males (termed "bare branches") and a shortage of women of marriageable age, with long-term social and economic consequences. The One-Child Policy was relaxed to two children in 2015 and three in 2021.
One-Child Policy
The One-Child Policy was a population control programme introduced by the Chinese government in 1980. It restricted most urban couples to one child, with exceptions for rural families, ethnic minorities, and couples where both parents were themselves only children. Enforcement involved fines, loss of employment, and in some cases forced sterilisations or abortions. The policy contributed to a skewed sex ratio (male preference led to female infanticide and selective abortions) and an ageing population. It was relaxed in 2015 to allow two children and ended in 2021.