Family Size and Sex Preferences among Women in Rural Bangladesh

Using IN and IS scales that measure underlying family size and sex preferences, respectively, it is found that a majority of married women in a Bangladesh survey have preferences for very large families and for sons. While differences in underlying size preferences are related to age, age at 1st cohabitation, education, knowledge of, attitude toward, and use of contraception, and perceived cost and benefit variables, the underlying sex preferences remain high for all variables considered here. Thus, the potential for a fertility decline in the future would depend, in part, on the creation of conditions favoring smaller families and reduced son preference.