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Cultural Roots of Son Preference: Evidence From Confucianism in China

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  • Xiangpo Chen
  • Xinyan Hu
  • Jinhai Xu

Abstract

This study addresses why the preference for sons persists in China despite rapid economic development and female empowerment. By exploiting county‐level variation in Confucian temple density, we find that Confucian culture has profoundly shaped gender preference in Chinese society. Specifically, one additional Confucian temple per 1000 km2 is linked to a 0.011 rise in the male‐to‐female birth ratio, or about 2359 more boys per million births, based on a mean ratio of 1.154 at birth. Moreover, we explore how Confucian culture has maintained its persistence. The New Culture Movement disrupted the cultural transmission of Confucian values, while the Hundred Days Reform had no measurable effect. These findings underscore the enduring presence of Confucian culture in modern Chinese society. Quantifying Confucian temple density as an indicator empirically confirms the enduring influence of cultural‐geographic factors on gender preference, thus introducing an anthropological paradigm into development economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiangpo Chen & Xinyan Hu & Jinhai Xu, 2026. "Cultural Roots of Son Preference: Evidence From Confucianism in China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 1818-1828, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:30:y:2026:i:3:p:1818-1828
    DOI: 10.1111/rode.70091
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