Gitnux/Report 2026

China Gender Imbalance Statistics

China’s birth rate fell to 6.77 per 1,000 while fertility hit a record low of 1.09, yet the sex imbalance behind three decades of policy pressures still echoes through family decisions. From a male hungry pattern in rural second births and missing girls linked to non registration and selection, to childcare costs, marriage markets, and women’s pay penalties, this page connects the demographic shift to everyday life in sharply specific China Gender Imbalance terms.
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June 19, 2026Updated
China Gender Imbalance Statistics
David KowalskiWritten by David Kowalski·Edited by Nikolas Papadopoulos·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Published ·Updated
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China’s gender imbalance appears in the population totals first, with the male population at 723.34 million and the female population at 689.69 million in 2022. The birth side then narrows as fertility falls to 1.09, the lowest level recorded in 2022, while the natural growth rate sits at -0.6 per 1,000. This report links sex ratio patterns at birth with shifts in fertility and birth parity to explain how policy and preference keep skewing family outcomes.

Key Takeaways

  • China's fertility rate hit a record low of 1.09 in 2022
  • The natural growth rate of the population was -0.6 per 1,000 in 2022
  • Percentage of second births among total births fell to 38.9% in 2022
  • China's overall sex ratio at birth was 111.3 males per 100 females in 2020
  • The total male population reached 723.34 million in 2022
  • The total female population reached 689.69 million in 2022
  • Guangdong province has a sex ratio at birth of 118:100
  • Hainan province traditionally has the highest sex ratio at birth, exceeding 120:100
  • Tibet (Xizang) has a near-natural sex ratio of 102:100
  • Number of marriage registrations fell to 6.83 million in 2022
  • The cost of "Bride Prices" (Caili) has risen to 300,000 RMB in parts of Jiangxi
  • 30 million "bare branches" (Guanggun) - men who cannot find wives - are estimated
  • Female labor force participation rate was 61.1% in 2022
  • Male labor force participation rate was 77.1% in 2022
  • Women earn 12% less than men in similar urban roles

China’s shrinking fertility and son preference have intensified a widening gender imbalance, especially among second births.

Related reading

01 · Category

Birth & Fertility30 stats

01
China's fertility rate hit a record low of 1.09 in 2022
02
The natural growth rate of the population was -0.6 per 1,000 in 2022
03
Percentage of second births among total births fell to 38.9% in 2022
04
Percentage of third births among total births was 15% in 2022
05
Higher parity (2nd child) sex ratio was reported at 130:100 in rural areas throughout 2010s
06
Illegal sex-selective abortions account for roughly 0.5 to 1 million female losses per year historically
07
Modern ultrasound availability increased the sex ratio by 5 points since 1985
08
Probability of third child being male if first two involve a girl is 160:100 in some studies
09
Birth rate in 2022 was 6.77 per 1,000 people
10
The average age of first-time mothers in Shanghai is now 30.29
11
Desire for "a son and a daughter" (Long Feng) accounts for 65% of preferred family structures
12
One-Child Policy (1979-2015) is cited as the primary driver for skewed ratios
13
Two-Child Policy (2016) led to a temporary birth spike of 17.86 million
14
Three-Child Policy (2021) has not yet significantly increased female birth rates
15
45% of Chinese women express no intention to have a second child due to costs
16
The gender ratio of first-borns is 108:100
17
The gender ratio of second-borns is 115:100
18
The gender ratio of third-borns is 121:100
19
Reported female infanticide rates have dropped to near zero in urban centers
20
Non-registration of female births accounts for 15% of the "missing girls" in past censuses
21
Modern fertility treatments (IVF) show a 52% male preference bias in private clinics
22
20% of young couples in urban areas opt for DINK (Double Income, No Kids)
23
Childcare costs for raising a female child to age 18 in China is approx 485,000 RMB
24
Survival rate for female neonates is 99.4%
25
Government subsidies for third-child births range from 5,000 to 20,000 Yuan
26
Adoption rates of female children by domestic couples rose 12% since 2016
27
Male preference and lineage persistence is noted in 82% of rural clans
28
The 2021 number of births was 10.62 million
29
China's birth rate has fallen for 6 consecutive years as of 2023
30
Gender-blind birth laws (ban on sex determination) are bypassed in 10% of rural pregnancies via mobile clinics
Interpretation

Birth & Fertility Interpretation

China's demographic policies have inadvertently engineered a cradle that tips decisively toward sons, creating a generation where the simple wish for "a son and a daughter" is statistically upended by persistent cultural preferences and modern medical conveniences.

02 · Category

Demographic Ratios30 stats

01
China's overall sex ratio at birth was 111.3 males per 100 females in 2020
02
The total male population reached 723.34 million in 2022
03
The total female population reached 689.69 million in 2022
04
The surplus of men over women is approximately 33.65 million
05
Male to female ratio in the 20-40 age group is approximately 115:100
06
The sex ratio among those aged 0 to 4 was 113.59 in 2020
07
The sex ratio for ages 5 to 9 was 115.93 in 2020
08
The sex ratio for ages 10 to 14 was 118.89 in 2020
09
The sex ratio for ages 15 to 19 was 117.65 in 2020
10
World Bank reports China's sex ratio at birth at 110:100 in 2021
11
Life expectancy for females in China is 80.88 years
12
Life expectancy for males in China is 75.37 years
13
The gender gap in the elderly population (65+) favors women at a ratio of 94.6 males per 100 females
14
Projected sex ratio at birth in 2030 is 108:100
15
Projected sex ratio at birth in 2050 is 106:100
16
The sex ratio of the total population was 104.88 in 2020
17
Mortality rate for infant males is higher than females at 5.4 per 1000
18
Mortality rate for infant females is 4.3 per 1000
19
Rural sex ratio at birth is consistently 3-5% higher than urban areas
20
Estimated missing women in China due to gender selection is over 60 million historically
21
The ratio of males to females in the 70-74 age bracket is 92:100
22
The ratio of males to females in the 80+ age bracket is 68:100
23
Male-to-female ratio in migrant populations is 120:100
24
The 2010 census recorded a sex ratio at birth of 118.06
25
The 2000 census recorded a sex ratio at birth of 116.86
26
The 1990 census recorded a sex ratio at birth of 111.14
27
The 1982 census recorded a sex ratio at birth of 108.47
28
Urban male population share is 51.1%
29
Gender ratio in Tier 1 cities (Beijing/Shanghai) is near 101:100
30
The 2023 estimated male population surplus is 32 million
Interpretation

Demographic Ratios Interpretation

China's demographic imbalance is a man-made crisis where millions of surplus young men, created by a persistent cultural preference for sons, are statistically destined to become the missing elderly men of tomorrow, all while the natural longevity of women waits to correct the ledger with grim, biological inevitability.

03 · Category

Regional/Provincial Variance30 stats

01
Guangdong province has a sex ratio at birth of 118:100
02
Hainan province traditionally has the highest sex ratio at birth, exceeding 120:100
03
Tibet (Xizang) has a near-natural sex ratio of 102:100
04
Xinjiang's sex ratio is approximately 106:100
05
Henan province has a surplus of 5 million men
06
Sichuan's sex ratio is 103.1, lower than the national average
07
Shanghai has a sex ratio of 107.3, heavily influenced by migrant workers
08
Beijing's male-to-female ratio is 104.7
09
Zhejiang province reports a sex ratio at birth of 112:100
10
Fujian province reports 114:100 males to females at birth
11
In Shandong, the sex ratio of the population aged 0-4 is 117.8
12
Inner Mongolia has a sex ratio of 104
13
Guizhou province has a sex ratio of 107.5
14
Liaoning province has one of the most balanced ratios at 99.7 (females slightly outnumbering men in some brackets)
15
Heilongjiang province's sex ratio is 100.3
16
Jilin province sex ratio is 100.8
17
Anhui province sex ratio at birth remains high at 116:100
18
Jiangxi has a male-to-female ratio of 108.8 for the total population
19
Yunnan province sex ratio is 106.9
20
Shaanxi province sex ratio is 106.0
21
Gansu province sex ratio is 104.5
22
Qinghai province sex ratio is 107.5
23
Ningxia region sex ratio is 105.1
24
Tianjin municipality sex ratio is 106.3
25
Chongqing municipality sex ratio is 102.1
26
Hebei province sex ratio is 103.0
27
Shanxi province sex ratio is 105.0
28
Hubei province sex ratio is 105.5
29
Hunan province sex ratio is 105.4
30
Guangxi region sex ratio at birth is one of the highest at 120.1 in certain counties
Interpretation

Regional/Provincial Variance Interpretation

While the coastal economic powerhouses of Guangdong and Zhejiang fret over gender ratios skewed enough to populate ghost cities with bachelors, Tibet and Liaoning quietly demonstrate that a natural balance is, in fact, achievable.

More related reading

04 · Category

Social & Marriage30 stats

01
Number of marriage registrations fell to 6.83 million in 2022
02
The cost of "Bride Prices" (Caili) has risen to 300,000 RMB in parts of Jiangxi
03
30 million "bare branches" (Guanggun) - men who cannot find wives - are estimated
04
The average age for marriage in cities like Shanghai has risen to 30 for men and 29 for women
05
"Leftover Women" (ShengNu) refers to the 15% of urban women over 27 who are single
06
Divorce rate in China was 3.09 per 1,000 residents in 2020
07
Marriage registrations dropped 10.5% year-on-year in 2022
08
Demand for "Mail-order brides" from SE Asia has grown 20% due to local female scarcity
09
Marriage for people aged 20-24 has declined by 50% over the last decade
10
Domestic violence reports increased during lockdowns, affecting 1 in 4 women
11
"Naked Marriage" (marriage without property) is rejected by 70% of female respondents
12
Sexual harassment at work is reported by 40% of women in high-density urban offices
13
25% of rural families with sons report high debt due to wedding costs
14
Inter-provincial marriages account for 12% of total marriages
15
Single-person households in China reached 125 million
16
Women initiate 70% of divorce filings in urban China
17
Men with low education levels are 4x more likely to remain single than high-educated men
18
Social media "blind date" apps have seen a 40% increase in male users
19
80% of "bare branches" live in rural, impoverished regions
20
Only 4% of single women in Tier 1 cities say marriage is "essential"
21
Civil Code "cooling-off period" for divorce (2021) reduced divorce rates by 8% initially
22
Reported human trafficking cases involving women for marriage rose by 5% in specific border zones
23
Single-father households account for 3% of urban families
24
60% of university women do not plan to marry immediately after graduation
25
Traditional "son preference" is still reported by 45% of surveyed elderly grandparents
26
The suicide rate among rural women has decreased by 70% since the 1990s
27
Percentage of women choosing to live with parents after marriage has increased by 10%
28
Online dating revenue in China hit $1.5 billion due to gender competition
29
Men spend average of 20% of their annual income on "dating rituals"
30
Domestic violence legal aid requests rose 30% after the 2016 law change
Interpretation

Social & Marriage Interpretation

China's marriage market is buckling under a stark gender imbalance, with millions of surplus men facing crippling financial demands while a generation of educated women increasingly opts out of a system that still undervalues them.

05 · Category

Workforce & Economy30 stats

01
Female labor force participation rate was 61.1% in 2022
02
Male labor force participation rate was 77.1% in 2022
03
Women earn 12% less than men in similar urban roles
04
The number of female CEOs in Fortune China 500 companies is 5.8%
05
34% of tech industry employees are female
06
70% of female employees reported being asked about marriage/pregnancy in interviews
07
The "Motherhood Penalty" results in an 18% wage drop for Chinese women per child
08
9.4% of parliamentary seats are held by women in high-level standing committees
09
55% of university students in China are now female
10
Female entrepreneurs account for 25% of all entrepreneurs in China
11
Over 80% of female migrants work in the service industry
12
Retirement age for women is 50-55, compared to 60 for men
13
40% of the female workforce in China is in the informal sector
14
Women spend 2.5x more time on unpaid care work than men in China
15
The gender wealth gap in housing ownership shows men own 70% of property titles
16
Female-led startups receive only 2% of total venture capital funding in China
17
Women represent 40% of the medical workforce in China
18
Men hold 80% of senior research positions in STEM
19
The manufacturing sector is 60% male-dominated
20
Female employment in agriculture has decreased by 20% in the last decade
21
65% of the e-commerce livestreaming workforce is female
22
Mandatory maternity leave increased to 158 days in many provinces, leading to hiring bias
23
Only 1 in 10 senior management positions in state-owned enterprises is held by a woman
24
Financial literacy scores for men are 15% higher than for women in rural China
25
Women contribute 41% to China's GDP, one of the highest in Asia
26
Gender pay gap in rural sectors is estimated at 30%
27
Female STEM graduates increased by 15% between 2015 and 2020
28
Number of women in the "Billionaires" list (self-made) is higher in China than any other country
29
Professional services sector saw a 10% increase in female participation since 2018
30
Female work participation in urban zones exceeds the global average of 47%
Interpretation

Workforce & Economy Interpretation

China's gender landscape is a paradox of impressive female workforce participation and educational achievement, stubbornly undermined by a thicket of systemic biases that ensure women are both essential to the economy yet consistently undervalued within it.
Reference

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David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). China Gender Imbalance Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/china-gender-imbalance-statistics
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David Kowalski. "China Gender Imbalance Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/china-gender-imbalance-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "China Gender Imbalance Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/china-gender-imbalance-statistics.

Sources & references

30 datasets cited across this report

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