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Can Abortion Mitigate Transitory Shocks? Demographic Consequences Under Son Preference

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  • Jaehyun Jung

Abstract

This work investigates abortion in response to drought-induced transitory income shocks and how son preference regulates such adjustments for rural mothers in Vietnam. I find that affected mothers were 30 percent more likely to obtain abortions when they were unable to smooth consumption. Importantly, drought is associated with disproportionately more abortions of female fetuses, which exacerbates the male-biased sex ratio at birth. Although a rebound in birth rates after approximately two years suggests that the effects of drought are pertinent to the timing of fertility, transitory shocks under son preference can have long-term demographic consequences by increasing the number of “missing girls.”

Suggested Citation

  • Jaehyun Jung, 2026. "Can Abortion Mitigate Transitory Shocks? Demographic Consequences Under Son Preference," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 61(1), pages 185-210.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:61:y:2026:i:1:p:185-210
    Note: DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0320-10808R3

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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