Sex Ratio at Birth(SRB) Transition and the Diffusion Story: Evidence from South Korea

Background & Objective: In recent decades, South Korea is the only country to show a unique Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) transition. After drastic ups and downs, the transition epidemic appears to be over. Sex selective abortion was widely thought to be the main contributor to this trend. Despite the enormous focus given to Korea’s uniquely fluctuating SRB statistics, and in particular the factors that caused the decrease in the SRB figures, little is known about the socioeconomic factors behind the trend. By employing the diffusion theory with regards to the spread of medical technology and the increase of SRB, this study aims to examine the trends in the proportion of male births (out of the total of annual live births) from 1981 to 2005 in Korea, when social and geographical variations are taken into account.