Chinese men face bachelor's life
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.TWENTY YEARS after China introduced its one child policy - brutally tailored by many people to favour boys - the world's most populous country has become its loneliest. The latest demographic trends show that some 111 million Chinese men will never marry.
A nation where some 6 million women bear the names Lai-di and Ziao-di ("call for a brother" and "bring a brother") there are now 120 potential grooms for every 100 brides-to-be. The trend seems to be worsening. Just four years ago, there were 113.4 men for every 100 women.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences claims a "natural gender rate" is 106 men for 100 women. But in Western countries there are consistently more women than men in the population.
Since 1979, when China adopted its one-child policy, the 1.2 billion- strong nation has become awash with gruesome stories of female infanticide and abandonment of baby girls.
Campaigners against the one-child policy estimate that a million girl babies are abandoned every year.
China's growing prosperity and increasing imbalance between men and women has also fuelled the burgeoning sex industry. Denied the chance of a wife or girlfriend, many men turn to commercial sex as the only alternative.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments