A Study On Regional Variation In Son Preference In India

Abstract

Background: Son preference is a widespread phenomenon observed in many countries, including India and other South Asian nations. An extensive and populous country, India exhibits substantial variations in its geographic, economic, and cultural environment. There is little evidence of measurement of son preferences at the quantitative state level.

Objective: To measure son preferences quantitatively for major states of India and examine regional variation or heterogeneity in stopping behaviors of couples across the states of India.

Methods: We applied our proposed methodology to real data from the National Family Health Survey of different rounds.

Results Measures confirm that the methodology-based values are robust enough to provide reliable estimates of son preference at the state level. Son preference is highest in the eastern and central states, followed by northern states, and lowest in the southern states.

Conclusions: There is considerable variation in son preference across Indian states, often masked by National-level average measurements. Our findings warrant urgent policy interventions targeting specific districts in India to tackle the ongoing son preference attitudes and practices.