A survey result has emerged indicating that after 30 years, the preference for sons has weakened in Korean society, while the preference for daughters has become pronounced.
In a survey conducted by the polling agency Gallup International from October 2024 to February this year, involving 44 countries and 44,783 adults, 28% of Koreans responded that they would prefer a daughter if they could have only one child. In contrast, only 15% expressed a preference for a son, indicating that the preference for daughters is over 10 percentage points higher than that for sons.
This ranks as the highest preference rate for daughters, surpassing Japan, Spain, and the Philippines (26%), and Bangladesh (24%).
Compared to the past, the change is stark. In a similar survey conducted in 1992, 58% of Koreans preferred sons, while only 10% preferred daughters. The preference for gender has completely reversed in 30 years.
By age, the preference for sons was only higher among those aged 60 and above, while about half of women in their 30s and 40s chose daughters.
Changes in the birth sex ratio also support this trend. According to the Statistics Korea, in 1990, there were 116.5 boys for every 100 girls, but this figure dropped to 105.1 in 2023, entering the natural sex ratio range (103-107). The figure, which exceeded 110 until the early 2000s, stabilized after 2008.
This phenomenon is also drawing attention overseas. In June, the British economic publication The Economist reported that "the preference for daughters has started to emerge prominently in various regions including Korea."
Experts analyze that this is the result of a complex interplay of changes in gender role perceptions, an increase in unmarried men, and social reflections on misogyny.
Particularly, issues of elderly support and caregiving burdens are cited as major backgrounds. According to research from the Hanyang University Graduate School of Clinical Nursing, 82.4% of families caring for elderly individuals with dementia are women, among whom "daughters" amount to 42.4%, while "sons" only account for 15.2%.
It is interpreted that the traditional thinking of 'having a son to carry on the family line' is shifting to the realistic perception that 'daughters better care for their parents in old age.' This change is expected to have a profound impact on the overall family culture of Korean society, going beyond a mere shift in birth preferences.