18 May 2012

Azerbaijan: it's a man's world


Derrick Harris, a big data specialist, wrote "Your data has a secret, but you — yes, you — can make it talk". I did not need to make them talk, as they have been screaming.

The sex ratio in the 0-14 age group in Azerbaijan went from 107 males per 100 females in 1990, to 116 in 2010. The ratio is significantly higher in certain states such as Gubadly and Lachyn (129 and 125). About 130 thousand girls are missing from the expected population of under the age of 14.

Abnormal sex ratios at birth, explained by growing incidence of sex-selective abortion, have also been noted in China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and Armenia.






Source of data: The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2010

3 comments:

  1. That is so stupid. I do not understand why it makes any difference.

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  2. Excellent post as always. You do terrific work. Makes me wonder what is going on in Yevlakh. Any thoughts? As for why it makes a difference, ask a young man from China who would like to have a girlfriend. Or consider the future issues of population replacement and the dependency ratio.

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  3. I suspect "I don't understand why it makes any difference" refers to why it makes a difference to *parents* what the gender of their child is. It is pretty obvious why it makes a difference to.the child or the society.

    Sadly, in these societies it DOES make a difference - ideas of patrilineal family continuity, girls becoming a part of their husband's family, lack of aged care, etc. Viewed short-term and selfishly it makes sense for each individual family to have a boy given a choice. For the society as a whole and for those kids it sucks.

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