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On the quantity and quality of girls: fertility, parental investments, and mortality

Abstract:
Access to prenatal sex-detection technology in India has led to a phenomenal increase in abortion of girls. We find that it has also narrowed the gender gap in under-five mortality, consistent with surviving girls being more wanted than aborted girls. For every three aborted girls, one additional girl survived to age five. Mechanisms include moderation of son-biased fertility stopping and narrowing of gender gaps in parental investments. However, surviving girls are more likely to be born in lower-status families. Our findings have implications not only for counts of missing girls but also for the later life outcomes of girls.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/ej/ueab035

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Saïd Business School
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Journal:
The Economic Journal More from this journal
Volume:
132
Issue:
641
Pages:
1-36
Publication date:
2021-04-28
Acceptance date:
2021-04-13
DOI:
EISSN:
1468-0297
ISSN:
0013-0133


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1171163
Local pid:
pubs:1171163
Deposit date:
2021-04-13
ARK identifier:

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