Factors influencing the sex ratio at birth in Australia, 1902–65

Abstract

SummaryUsing Australian records of human births for the first six decades of the twentieth century, the proportions of male and female births are studied in relation to the mother's age, the father's age, the parents' ages in combination, and certain other factors. The principal data used relate to the years 1931–55, during which over 3 million children were born, yet even so the significant features are not easy to discern.Masculinity tends to fall as the age of either parent increases. But it is only average or below if one parent is old while the other is young. For high masculinity, both parents must be young.The Australian data are available in a form which enables the sex ratio to be studied also in relation to (a) the season of the year; (b) urban and rural areas; (c) the different states of the Commonwealth; (d) births inside and outside marriage; and (e) single and multiple births. When the influence of the parents' ages is eliminated, however, it does not appear as though the sex ratio varies significantly with any of these factors.