Parental gender preferences in Central and Eastern Europe and differential early life disadvantages

Parental gender preferences may affect partnership decisions and as a result lead to early life disadvantages. We study these in five post-communist countries of Central Eastern Europe, region with strong traditional norms persisting inequalities between women men labour market outcomes. Using subsamples census from Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Romania Russia around 2000 2010, we follow Dahl Moretti (2008), The demand for sons, examine the effect first-born child(ren) on fertility relationship stability their parents. only find evidence ‘boy preferences’ cases Russia. However, unlike US, cannot confirm children's parental decisions. This is case all examined European countries, well number Western Europe. raise questions about other potential consequences documented preferences. argue that our approach can be applied more broadly identify characterised by preferences, motivate further examination different forms driven