Features of Sex Ratio

1. The sex ratio at birth in the most countries is about 105 males per 100 females or
even higher than 100

 In every country births are male-biased. Sons are preferred because they have a higher
wage-earning capacity, especially in agrarian economies ; they continue the family line;
and they are generally recipients of inheritance . Girls are often considered an economic
burden because of the dowry system; after marriage they typically become members of
the husband's family, ceasing to have responsibility for their parents in illness and old
age 

=> There are biological reasons why there are slightly more boys born every year than girls. 

 The pressure to reduce fertility with the recommendation that each couple have only 1-2
children is also an indirect cause affecting this situation. In order to have fewer children
and still have the desired son, couples cannot apply the "stopping rule" of having a baby
until they have a new son, so they use sex selection services. calculated before birth,

2. Sex ratio decreases as age increases

 This is because women have a longer life expectancy than men. Example, American
women currently have an average life expectancy of 81 years. The average American man
lives to the age of 76. In Russia, the average man lives to 64 years old and the average
woman to 76 years old.
 The cause of the disparity in life expectancy for men and women is related to biology and
behavior.
- Biological factors:

+ Chromosomal structure: Women have two X chromosomes, and men have X and Y; their
double X chromosomes protect against disease when cells begin to malfunction according to
age. Males lack of one X chromosome so there is no backup, leading to the constant aging of
cells, making men more susceptible to disease, at high risk of cancer than. In the UK, it is
estimated that men are 40% more likely to die from cancer and 16% more likely to develop
the disease than women.

+ Hormone: Estrogen in women can help maintain normal healthy cell function and has an
antioxidant role, removing by-products from metabolism; help remove bad cholesterol and
prevent cardiovascular diseases, protect nerves. Meanwhile, the male hormone Testosterone
has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory disease, heart disease, infection, cancer and
stroke.

+ Body size: Men are taller than women and have more cells in their bodies, and the more
cells there are, the greater the risk of harmful cell mutations.
 - Behavioral factors:

+ Women have better lifestyles. Research shows that men are more likely to drink and
smoke than women. The death rate from atherosclerosis in men increased by 40% due to
smoking. This also increases the risk of stroke.

+ Women have lower occupational risks and better ability to handle stress than men. Men's
occupations often face many risks, such as those working in mines, construction, long-
distance driving ... so men have a higher risk of death than women.

3. High sex ratio indicates young population, low sex ratio indicates old population
 Countries with young population have high fertility rate and high mortality rate. In many
countries, the birth of a son is preferred. Like some Asian countries, it is greatly
influenced by traditional Confucian thought with the concept that sons follow the family
line, ... has made the mentality of son preference become intense. Moreover, male babies
preference leads to the need for prenatal sex selection.
 High fertility rate and male babies preference lead to more men than women
 Sex ratio is high
 High sex ratio indicates young population
 Countriess which have old population have low fertility rate and low mortality rate.
Because women have a longer life expectancy than men, along with longer life
expectancies and low fertility rates, women outnumber men.
 Sex ratio is low
 Low sex ratio indicates old population
This is the current state of Japan. In 2020, the natural population growth rate is negative
because the number of births is -449,866 people less than the number of deaths. The sex
ratio in the total population is 0.954 (954 males per 1,000 females). The average life
expectancy of women (87.7 years) is higher than that of men (81.5 years). The number of
elderly people makes up 28.7 percent of the country's population, up 0.3 percent from last
year and also a record high.