Rural gender imbalance in China will worsen

Source: Taipei Times

The problem of too many men and not enough women in Chinese villages is likely to become much worse, a researcher warned.

China has 32 million more men aged under 20 than women, a paper published last month by Therese Hesketh of University College London. Her research suggests that rural areas, where the imbalance is greatest, will be further affected because of women “marrying out” and going to live in cities.

“It looks as if high sex-ratio areas, particularly in central China, are likely to get worse. Because of migration, we are hearing again and again that women are going to urban areas and staying. In rural areas that will exacerbate the sex ratio very markedly,” she said.

“In the past, migrants have tended to go back home to permanently settle. But women [now] are finding partners in urban areas and not going back. Men are unable to do that. Urban women will not marry a migrant man; men can’t marry up,” she said.

.....more

Too many taboos that will never change are causing the problem. Every family must have a son. So under 1-child policy rule, every family has a son. And in rural area men can't marry up. So they have to marry a farm girl too. It's the whole class society thing. There are no farm girls to begin with and if there are any, they're gone. The poorest farm girl can go into the city and find a husband, especially is she's beautiful. The poorest farm guy? He needs to find a poorer, uglier farm girl.

It never ends.