Sex Structure

Sex Structure


* The sex structure refers to the proportions of the 2 sexes in a defined population.
* It is expressed as the number of males to every 100 females.
* Male births usually exceed female births, but males die off more quickly in infancy, so by the time children are 1 yr old, there are more females than males.
* The sex structure may be affected by the following
o Where women are considered subordinate beings, they suffer a higher mortality rate and a lower life expectancy.
o Migration. There is usually a dominance of males in populations dominated by immigrants.
o In difficult environments, there is usually an imbalance in favor of males.
o Select populations such as military towns may have an imbalance for either of the sexes.
o Urban areas in developing regions have more males.