What! Canada's male to female ratios!

[Jeremy Gendstrasversk Sun]

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

This is surprising. Too many males being born and live ( due to modern medicine ) so this means there is a male surplus during the reproductive years. So this means many males would be single as they cannot marry a female? And then boom, thanks to males' inherent weakness, there are too many females during the later years.

 

[afransen]

This is a well-known phenomenon. Bigger concerns are the wonky sex ratios in countries like China and India. If you think there are lonely guys in Canada, think about China:

Sex ratio (from Wikipedia)

China

* At birth: 1.11 male(s)/female (2007)
* Under 15 years: 1.134 male(s)/female (2007)
* 15–64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female (2007)
* 65 years and over: 0.914 male(s)/female (2007)
* Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2007)


India is similar.

 

[Jeremy Gendstrasversk Sun]

So it's a problem in a lot of places. Wild animals don't have this problem, do they?

 

[urbanfan89]

This ratio has always occurred in history. Perhaps it's natural selection, because men are more likely to die at a younger age. This explains why the ratio evens out at older ages.

 

[CDL.TO]

Yeah. This is natural. As it has always been and such.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Not to worry. All these boys need to do is to get into many major universities in Canada, where the female-male enrolment ratios are in many cases approaching 70-30. If they decide to go into programmes like English or Psych, we're talking at least 90-10 in many schools. So to paraphrase Jan and Dean, there'll be at least seven or eight girls for every boy.

 

[wonderboy416]

So it's a problem in a lot of places. Wild animals don't have this problem, do they?

There's many species where only the most dominant of males get to mate, again and again. Even the mighty lion must pay his dues and win his way to the top before he can breed (and many don't make it or die trying)... it assures that only the strongest survive and reproduce which is ultimately in the best interest of the species. Humans on the other hand...

 

[afransen]

Yeah. This is natural. As it has always been and such.

Presumably it's natural in many countries in the West, but it most certainly is not natural in China or India (and hence the huge difference in ratios), but rather as a result of government policy (one child policy) combined with socioeconomic and cultural factors. Boys are more desirable for a variety of reasons, and thus female fetuses are often aborted.

Of course, the sex ratio varies by species. Since humans were likely to have been monogamous naturally (for the most part) a fairly even sex ratio makes some sense. Where this is not the case, quite uneven sex ratios might be more advantageous from an evolutionary perspective.

 

[CDL.TO]

Presumably it's natural in many countries in the West, but it most certainly is not natural in China or India (and hence the huge difference in ratios), but rather as a result of government policy (one child policy) combined with socioeconomic and cultural factors.

Of course, by natural I mean "all else being equal, human reproduction tends to produce a greater proportion of men than of women".

Also, all else being equal, women tend to live longer than men.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Another consideration is life expectancy. During the Roman Empire, the life expectancy was about 28 years. During medieval times, it increased a little to around 33.
By 1900, life expectancy increased to 50, by 1950 it increased to 65, and by 2000, in the West at least, it has increased to around 80.
Divorce was not much of a issue, if one of the partners died at an early life expectancy. Today, it can be, at least in the West.

 

[afransen]

Of course, by natural I mean "all else being equal, human reproduction tends to produce a greater proportion of men than of women".

Also, all else being equal, women tend to live longer than men.

Not to be pedantic, but I expect you meant 'women than of men'.

 

[CDL.TO]

Not to be pedantic, but I expect you meant 'women than of men'.

No. More men than women.

 

[drone]

I think I remember seeing a documentary on mainland china where they said that since females overwhelmingly are under represented. They actually have a wider selection of mates and they are marrying "up". The men lower on the income scale , had little chance of marrying because women had so many men to choose from, they went on to say that many men in rural china never have had sex with a female unless they paid for it.

 

[Jeremy Gendstrasversk Sun]

Is this problem severe in Canada?

BTW, Germany's sex ratio is at 1.04 males per female. Crazy! https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html

China and India are both at 1.06 males per female. Insane!

 

[afransen]

The under-15 number is the more important one for China. It's a generation of Chinese where there will only be enough women for 88% of men.