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How China's Boy Boom Hurt US Economy

Preference for boys may lead to 'savings glut'

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 19, 2009 1:47 PM CDT

(Newser) – Lots of theories have been floated about the how the US housing and credit bubbles came to be, but this one gets points for originality: New research suggests that China's overabundance of males played a role, reports the Wall Street Journal. It begins with this: Because of the high male-to-female ratio, Chinese families with boys tend to save more money to give their sons an edge in the bridal hunt.

That contributes to China as a whole saving more than the US and in turn to the "global savings glut" identified by Ben Bernanke in 2005. This savings imbalance between the US and developing nations helped pushed down interest rates here. "Other economies known to have a strong sex ratio imbalance include Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India," say two economists in a new paper. "These countries also happen to have high savings rates.”

A mother and a son look at toys at a department store in Shanghai, China.
A mother and a son look at toys at a department store in Shanghai, China.   (AP Photo)
Could the missing women problem have contributed to the US housing bubble?
Could the "missing women" problem have contributed to the US housing bubble?   (Shutterstock)
A mother and a son look at a Disney bag at a toy store in Shanghai, China.
A mother and a son look at a Disney bag at a toy store in Shanghai, China.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
sysco9
Jun 19, 2009 10:23 AM CDT
I believe him yo. I dunno why but i do..
myvoice
Jun 19, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
So where do all these Chinese men go (with their money) to marry? They should come here and find brides.... that would help the US economy, right? I have meant a few Chinese men that came here to just that.
Are_you--Nobody--Too
Jun 19, 2009 9:02 AM CDT
We can't take responsibility for our failing economy. And we have to blame something like this for other countries' successful economies. Very original indeed.

Abstract of the economists' paper
National Bureau of Economic Research

Money World

 
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