‘Bare Branches’ make up 24 million of China’s male population as a result of the one child policy

24 million men in China are known as ‘Bare Branches’ or single as a result of the one child policy, having an obvious current and future socio economic impact on the country, according to the country’s leading think tank. This segment of single males are equally distributed throughout the country of China, however the largest discrepancy between males and females are the high number of males under the age of 5. In rural areas male to female ratios are higher with approximately 125 boys for every 100 girls. Preference for male heirs is common in rural areas due to a lack of social security in the country.


This imbalance is also a result of the one child policy, instituted in the 1970’s. This was China’s attempt to contain its increasing population. The late 1980’s saw the largest increase in sex selective abortions as technology became available in the form of ultrasounds. According to the laws of the government, sex selective abortion is illegal, however it is widely available and overlooked.

The obvious result of this gender imbalance and the one child policy is a large discrepancy between males and females is an increase in crime and a marginalization of males, in a culture which places importance on marrying. Laws are not expected to change, and further discussion will not take place until at least 2018.