Koreans’ preference for sons plummets as more say they want daughters
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“I’m sorry, I should have taken better care of you.”
These are the words an 80-something mother, who is recovering from a stroke, often says to her middle-aged daughter. The elderly woman, who suffers from partial paralysis and vision loss due to a cerebrovascular condition, is cared for by her daughter. Her only son rarely visits. Before falling ill, she adored her son so much that the daughter felt she had been treated unequally. The mother’s regret reflects a growing shift in South Korea away from a deep-rooted preference for sons.
A Gallup International survey conducted from Nov. 11-25, 2024, on 1,534 adults in Korea (excluding Jeju Island) found that among Koreans in their 50s and younger, more people preferred having a daughter than a son. Women in their 30s and 40s showed the strongest preference for daughters, with rates in the 40-percent range. Only among those aged 60 and older was the preference nearly balanced at 23 percent for sons and 20 percent for daughters.
Overall, the preference for sons among Koreans has dropped from 58 percent in 1992 to 15 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, in 1992, just 10 percent of respondents preferred daughters. At the time, preference rates for sons by age group were 42 percent for those in their 20s, 54 percent for those in their 30s, 65 percent for those in their 40s and 79 percent for those 50 and older. By 2024, many who were in their 20s back then had reached their 50s, and their preferences shifted to 14 percent for sons, 28 percent for daughters and 57 percent with no preference. The share of people saying “a son is a must in marriage” dropped from 45 percent in 1995 to 24 percent in 2008.
Korea also ranked first in the world for daughter preference in a global survey of 44 countries and 44,783 adults. In Korea, 28 percent preferred daughters and 15 percent preferred sons. Japan ranked second, with 26 percent preferring daughters and 14 percent preferring sons, followed by Spain, the Philippines (both with 26 percent preferring daughters) and Bangladesh (24 percent). The top countries for son preference were India (39 percent), the Philippines (35 percent), Ecuador and China (both 24 percent) and the United Kingdom (21 percent).
Korea’s own statistics also reflect the decline in preference for sons. According to Statistics Korea, the sex ratio at birth — the number of boys per 100 girls — peaked at 116.5 in 1990. By 2023, it had dropped to 105.1. The ratio remained above 110 until 2000, but since 2008 has stayed within the natural range of 103 to 107.
This shift is linked to broader social changes. Discrimination in inheritance has diminished, and male-centered ancestral rites have become less common. As in the earlier example, daughters are often perceived as more attentive to aging parents, which may influence preferences. However, experts caution against generalizing from individual cases. Many parents in their 30s and 40s with both sons and daughters say they find more joy in raising daughters and expect to prefer them even as they age. Still, with extreme low birth rates and more families having only one child, the idea of favoring one gender is losing relevance.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.