Skewed sex ratios at birth: A review of global trends

Several cultures in the world traditionally favor the birth of sons over that of daughters. This preference drives various forms of discrimination against female births ultimately reflected in demographic imbalances. Over the last decades, modern reproductive technology has made prenatal diagnosis widely accessible to parents. In certain Asian and Eastern European countries, this has led to skewed sex ratio at birth (SRB) as a result of sex-selective abortions. After reviewing motivations and circumstances associated to prenatal sex selection, our paper analyzes global trends in sex imbalances at birth as well as their parity, regional and socio-economic differentials. We focus our attention on the experience of Azerbaijan, India, and South Korea as instances of three distinct SRB trajectories. Finally, we discuss scenarios concerning the future of these sex imbalances and the implications of a consistent number of "missing women" for affected societies.