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The Limits (And Human Costs) of Population Policy: Fertility Decline and Sex Selection in China under Mao

Author

Listed:
  • Kimberly Singer Babiarz

    (Stanford University)

  • Paul Ma

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Grant Miller

    (Stanford University
    NBER
    Center for Global Development)

  • Shige Song

    (City University of New York)

Abstract

Most of China’s fertility decline predates the famous One Child Policy—and instead occurred under its predecessor, the Later, Longer, Fewer (LLF) policy. Studying LLF’s contribution to fertility and sex selection behavior, we find that it i) reduced China’s total fertility rate by 0.9 births per woman (explaining 28% of China’s modern fertility decline), ii) doubled the use of male-biased fertility stopping rules, and iii) promoted postnatal neglect (implying 210,000 previously unrecognized missing girls). Considering Chinese population policy to be extreme in global experience, our paper demonstrates the limits of population policy—and its potential human costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kimberly Singer Babiarz & Paul Ma & Grant Miller & Shige Song, 2019. "The Limits (And Human Costs) of Population Policy: Fertility Decline and Sex Selection in China under Mao," Working Papers 505, Center for Global Development.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgd:wpaper:505
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    File URL: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/limits-and-human-costs-population-policy-fertility-decline-and-sex-selection-china
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    Cited by:

    1. Rao, Ziwei, 2021. "Do children prevent their poor old parents from working?," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242424, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; sex selection; family planning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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