China's demographic dividends have been deteriorating since the early 1980s because of the family planning policy, under which most urban couples could have only one child. Among the problems it has created is the yawning gender imbalance.

Before 1980, China had had a normal gender ratio at birth (about 102-107 boys born for every 100 girls). But after the family planning policy came into effect, an imbalance started becoming evident in the gender ratio at birth. In 2010, there were 119 boys for every 100 girls at birth; the figure for 2012 was 117.7.

The gender imbalance since the 1980s has created tens of millions of bachelors. In fact, from 1983 to 2010, more than 41 million more boys than girls were born, and from 2001 to 2010, an average of 1.3 million more boys were born every year.