Americans Prefer Sons To Daughters, Survey Finds

What ever happened to parents-to-be saying, "We don't care whether it's a boy or a girl, as long as it's healthy?"

According to a new Gallup poll -- they do care -- and if they could only have one child, Americans would rather have a boy.

The poll of 1,020 men and women over the age of 18 found that 40 percent preferred a boy to the 28 percent who said a girl, with the rest having no opinion on the matter.

In fact, Americans have repeatedly said they'd prefer having a son to a daughter in each of the 10 surveys Gallup has conducted since 1941.

What is going on here?

The study found that men drive the desire to have boys, with 49 percent preferring male babies, whereas the percent of women preferring boys nearly equaled the percent wanting girls.

Preferences also have something to do with age. For the 30 and under crowd, a whopping 54 percent would rather have a boy, while only 27 percent wanted a girl. Past 50, the percent preferring girls goes up to 29, and preference for boys decreases to 31 percent. 32 percent of women over 50 actually preferred a girl, compared to the 25 percent of the same demographic who said they would rather have a boy.

And if you want to get political about it, the preference for a boy is higher among Republicans than Democrats, which makes sense in light of the gender divide in politics: As Gallup notes, American men are more likely to be Republican, and women are more likely to be Democrats.

What's chilling about this data is that it echoes the preference for boys in other cultures where parents take extreme measures to ensure that they will raise boys, from abandoning female children to girl infanticide. While there's no evidence of Americans pursuing their preferences to that extreme, some do use embryo screening, legal in the United States but illegal in many other parts of the world, to choose the sex of their child. It would be interesting the next time around for Gallup to poll how many parents would use that technology to ensure a child of the desired sex.

Comments

[Jason Ungar]

03:55 AM on 07/23/2011

I am a stay at home dad to a 3.5 year old son and 18 month old daughter. I already see the differences (beyond the obvious that everyone is different).

[SavagePrincess]

02:57 PM on 06/28/2011

I have no interest in having a child... but if I did, I'm much rather have a daughter than a son.

[lilyinbloom]

01:23 PM on 06/28/2011

Consider me apart of the minority then. I'm praying for a daughter.

[guendy]

11:49 AM on 08/08/2011

So was my husband when I was pregnant. He got one and I've never seen him happier!

[Num1Christy]

06:12 PM on 06/27/2011

I have one of each (girl then boy). For the first 3 years my son was the angel I longed for and then something happened... he turned into a real boy, not a baby, not a toddler, I real bottomless pit, gamer, answers "nothing" to every question... BOY lol! I love them both, adore them even more when they are sleeping... but so far, my daughter is the easier of the two. No doubt time will change that multiple times :)

[llstudent]

07:50 PM on 06/27/2011

I hate to say this but boys are still given more importance in this society and this story says it all.

[Num1Christy]

09:26 PM on 06/27/2011

Only bc we give them more importance.

[TheParson]

02:29 AM on 06/27/2011

Even from within the womb, The Patriarchy continues its hegemonic oppression....

[Selena Haney]

10:15 PM on 06/26/2011

My father definitely is one of these people. I have two brothers who my father favors. I am the only one who has given him grandchildren, but that doesn't really matter to him (a grandson and granddaughter). He told me that my brothers need to have a baby so he can have a grandson. Yeah, he said it. Why? BC my son didn't carry his name. So, that explains how he feel about me.

[kamkrystine13]

10:12 PM on 06/28/2011

I hope in the future you're children will succeed to their highest

[MathIsTruth]

12:17 AM on 06/26/2011

No daughter is like any daughter who has lived before.  No son is like any son who has lived before.

What a total waste of mental energy worrying about which gender you want your child to be.

Whatever characteristics you imagine that most daughters have, you could have a son with those characteristics or a daughter without.

Look forward to the unique person that you will bring into the world to love and care for, and don't worry about the rest.

[johnjayjay]

07:59 PM on 06/25/2011

As a single dad of two teenaged girls, I only know what I know. However, as an outside observer of my friends who have boys, I'll go ahead and make a couple of gross generalizations: the boys do seem lower maintenance emotionally, and seem to require minimal intervention. However, they also seem a little dull. They eat, play video games, quietly sulk, and rarely communicate beyond asking when their parents are going to the grocery store. Girls definitely seem more dramatic, and are always pushing the limits of boundaries and have the occasional outburst. However, they interact, laugh freely, talk and share, and are emotionally communicative. This fathers day, my friends with boys were greeted with "It's fathers day?", and I woke up to a huge breakfast, hand drawn cards full of hearts, and a framed picture of the three of us. Ultimately, my friends love their sons, and I love my daughters...and after all, it takes both to make the world go 'round.

[MG Metiva]

12:42 AM on 06/26/2011

And boys occasionally blast out in anger, but it seems to be tied to food and video games.

[llstudent]

07:52 PM on 06/27/2011

Right on Johnjayjay.

[17ladyslippers]

07:28 PM on 06/25/2011

I am lucky. I have one of each. If I had to choose between them, I could not. They both gave me a few gray hairs and a lot of great memories. I am still lucky, we are all still close. I couldn't be more proud of the people they are today.

[slowfoodgirl]

05:35 PM on 06/25/2011

In hindsight of having wanting sons so badly I can see that girls were what I was meant to have. Up until I had my girls I disassociated/disconnected and shamed every feminine aspect of who I was. Which indeed was a woman. I felt betrayed by my body every time I passed through rites of passage, breast, blood, birth. Giving birth didn't change my mind. Accepting myself for all that I am and knowing that I am enough made me want that for my girls, they came here to teach me that. It was through them that I appreciated standing with and for myself and them. My daughters and my sisters. They were sent to me to help me restore the feminine balance in my soma and spirit. And I am forever grateful to them for it. I see no real issue with wanting one over the other. I always had a sense of belonging in groups of men. Where as historically women didn't make me feel safe. It makes sense that I would lean towards that side in longings. That said i think it is important to reflect a little into our own stories as to why we feel one way or another. And certainly wishing for is not the same as making it happen at any cost

[Tulka2]

05:13 PM on 06/25/2011

"Your son is your son till the day that he marries, but your daughter is your daughter forever." An old saying and a true one. I am the mother of sons and am jealous of every mother and daughter I see. It is a great sadness to me that I do not have a daughter.

[nervousexpat]

02:09 PM on 06/25/2011

As a stepmother to both a girl and a boy, give me boys ANYTIME..... WAYYY less complicated, less manipulative, less sneaky.... Boys are just simpler creatures.

And yes, I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for my comment, but I stand by it.

[Randybostonterrier]

12:35 PM on 06/26/2011

You are a stepmother, always remember that, of course boys may cut you slack, females will always ask more of you, if you are simple you'll like your STEPsons.

[nervousexpat]

02:41 PM on 06/26/2011

By simple, I don't mean simple-minded... I mean not complicated. and I'm talking about the way they behave with their own father, not with me.

[irishdoc]

03:04 PM on 06/26/2011

Your a step mother, not an actual mother. That's why its complicated.

[gnorrfa]

12:29 PM on 06/25/2011

I prefer daughters only on the condition that they're NOT my daughters and they're nicely grown up.

[casaroonc]

12:28 PM on 06/25/2011

I've always found it funny that men prefer boys & women prefer Girls, because as the old adage go's " daddies little girl, & momma's boy. & it's true especially at a younger age. The bond is stronger cross gender. (not stating that always the case here)

As a man & a Father I always wanted a girl (as well) when my boys were younger. Now that I have two teenage boys, I am Very happy I don't have to worry about a daughter. The phone calls I started to get when my older one hit 6th grade. I know people think boys are the predators, but I here to tell you, girls are boy crazy.

Ok, I've gone on too long.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

12:16 PM on 06/25/2011

How about a poll about polls?

[gnorrfa]

12:30 PM on 06/25/2011

We'll have to have a poll on that.