A new study has predicted that 12 nations with skewed sex ratios, including Albania, will result in the loss of 4.7 million women by 2030.
Published in the British Medical Journal, the study looks at the instances of sex-selective abortions in various countries and the impact it has on male to female birth ratios. It found that current trends will lead to “long-term sex imbalances” in around a third of the world’s population, with unknown social and economic impacts.
The study looked at 3.26 billion birth records from 204 countries and identified 12 which were problematic. These included Albania, China, India, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam.
Since the 1970s, it’s estimated that between 23 million and 25 million women have been lost, due to the practice of sex-selective abortion, female infanticide, and lower levels of healthcare for baby girls. If current trends continue, the number of lost women could reach 5.7 million by 2100.
The study noted that many governments had stepped up action to counter such practices, but more work is needed, especially in Albania, China, and India. There are concerns it could set precedents elsewhere.
“These findings underline the need to monitor [the sex ratio at birth] in countries with son preference and to address the factors behind the persistence of gender bias in families and institutions,” the authors write.
“A broader objective relates to the need to influence gender norms, which lie at the core of harmful practices such as prenatal sex selection.”
Recent data from INSTAT shows that the boy-girl birth ratio in Albania is still at an unnatural level. 107 boys were born for every 100 girls. The natural level is 105 boys for every 100 girls, suggesting that sex-based abortions are still prevalent.
