This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In many parts of the world, the birth of a boy is celebrated as a blessing, while the birth of a girl is still viewed as a burden. The disturbing prevalence of female feticide bears witness to this inequality.
In countries like China and India, deeply rooted cultural beliefs often place greater value on sons because they are expected to support their parents in old age and carry on the family name. Yet when scientists looked at the numbers, they found that what tradition says should bring parents happiness does not necessarily match what actually does. A recent study published in Acta Psychologica examined how a family's number of children and their gender affect parental happiness in modern China.
Researchers analyzed Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data collected between 2012 and 2021 and found that having only daughters was linked to greater happiness than having only sons. The association was strongest among middle-aged parents, particularly those in rural areas who had exactly two daughters. Happiness is a core measure of quality of life, capturing both how people think about their lives and how they feel living them day to day.
Researchers study it to identify what drives well-being and life satisfaction, since these factors are linked to better health and longer lifespans. The interest extends beyond academia: Public policy now treats subjective well-being as a goal, with some local governments in China even folding happiness metrics into official performance evaluations. Years of research show that relationships and family structure are among the strongest factors affecting happiness and physical health.
Earlier research has shown that becoming a parent tends to make people happier, but few studies have looked at how the number of children and their genders relate to happiness. To trace how family size and child gender shape parental happiness in modern China, researchers pulled together six waves of the Chinese General Social Survey, spanning 2012 to 2021. They gathered a large dataset to capture patterns in family life—49,752 respondents from across the country, including 45,108 parents from both cities and rural areas.
The researchers measured subjective happiness with a standard survey question in which respondents rated their overall life happiness on a five-point scale, from very unhappy to very happy. They then grouped families by both the number and gender of their children. Having children was associated with slightly greater happiness, but more children were linked to greater happiness only among parents aged 60 and older.
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