Mainland couples ignore traditional preference for boys
For many mainland couples, it doesn't seem to matter anymore whether their newborn is a boy or a girl. After the one-child policy was introduced more than 30 years ago to curb population growth, many parents wanted their only child to be a boy to carry on the family name. But attitudes could be slowly changing.
Figures released by the State Population and Family Planning Commission show the number of newborn males on the mainland has declined for the first time in five years.
The number of newborn males for every 100 newborn females fell to 119 last year, when compared to 120 in 2008.
Mainland demographers described the 1 per cent decline as a pleasant pause and said it might suggest some social changes.
Take Zhao Xiaohong, for example. When she was pregnant, Zhao and her husband hoped that their baby would be a girl. When their daughter was born, Zhao quit her job to spend more time with the baby.
'Daughters are sweet and considerate, unlike boys who might drift away from the family after they get their first girlfriend,' says Zhao.
'Besides, it's much more expensive to raise a boy. I'm supposed to save money for him to get a house and get married.'
