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Girl adoption in China--A less-known side of son preference

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  • Yuyu Chen
  • Avraham Ebenstein
  • Lena Edlund
  • Hongbin Li

Abstract

In 1987, 4 per cent of girls were adopted within China. Why? Unlike infanticide, abandonment rids parents of daughters while preserving the supply of potential brides. In fact, an erstwhile tradition common in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces had parents of sons adopting an infant girl to serve as a future daughter-in-law and household help. Analysing a nationally representative 1992 survey of children, we found that: (1) girl adoptions were concentrated in the above-mentioned provinces; (2) girls were predominantly adopted by families with sons; (3) adopted girls faced substantial disadvantage as measured by school attendance at ages 8-13. In the 1990s, as the sex ratio at birth climbed, were girls aborted rather than abandoned? Observing that in the 2000 census too many girls appear in families with older sons, we estimated that at least 1/25 girls were abandoned in the 1990s, a proportion that in Fujian and Jiangxi may have peaked at 1/10 in 1994.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuyu Chen & Avraham Ebenstein & Lena Edlund & Hongbin Li, 2015. "Girl adoption in China--A less-known side of son preference," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 69(2), pages 161-178, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpstxx:v:69:y:2015:i:2:p:161-178
    DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2015.1009253
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    Cited by:

    1. Bao, Xiaojia & Galiani, Sebastian & Li, Kai & Long, Cheryl Xiaoning, 2023. "Where have all the children gone? An empirical study of child abandonment and abduction in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 95-119.
    2. Mei Yang & Xinming Xia & Yi Zhou, 2023. "Abandoned children in China: the son-preference culture and the gender-differentiated impacts of the one-child policy," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.

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