A Tale of Two Choices: Son Preference and Reproductive Outcomes in Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT In this study, we use data from the recent round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted between 2021 and 2022 to estimate the effect of son preference on reproductive behavior in Uzbekistan. We find strong evidence for differential stopping and spacing behavior among Uzbek women. Women are up to 36% less likely to have a subsequent birth if they have at least one son at a given birth order. The effect is particularly strong among rural women at higher birth orders. The likelihood of discontinuity of childbearing increases as the number of sons increases. However, the sex of the firstborn child, either male or female, plays no role in women's decisions about having additional children. In contrast, our analysis of sex composition provides no evidence of a mixed‐sex preference. We find that the probability of a subsequent shorter or risky birth interval is lower among women with at least one son. In addition, women with at least one son are more likely to use contraceptives. Our findings are robust to additional subgroup estimations.