According to figures released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, the number of men in the Chinese mainland stands at 704,14 million while the number of their counterparts is 670,48 million by the end of 2015.

据周二国家统计局公布的数据显示，截止2015年年末，中国大陆男性人口达到70414万，而女性人口则为67048万。

For every 113.51 boys born there were 100 girls (the natural rate is 102 to 107 boys to every 100 girls), the data showed.

该数据显示，每113.51名新生男婴就会对应100名新生女婴（自然出生人口性别比为102-107名男婴对应100名女婴）。

Though still far beyond the natural rate, China's sex ratio at birth plunged¹ by 2.37 from 115.88 of last year, the biggest drop in the last seven years.

虽然现在这一数据仍远低于自然比例，但是与2014年出生人口性别比115.88相比，中国出生人口性别比下降了2.37，在过去七年时间内降幅最大。

To balance the population, China further relaxed its more than three-decade-old family planning policy to allow all couples to have two children since the start of 2016.

为平衡人口，2016年初，中国进一步放松了实行三十年余久的计划生育政策，全面放开二孩政策。

China, like other countries with Asian cultures, held a historic preference for male offspring over female ones. Conservatives, especially old-fashioned clans² in rural areas, regard boys as the only recognized heirs to carry on a family line.

与其他亚洲文化圈国家相似，中国有着重男轻女的传统思想。传统保守的人们仍认为男孩是家里唯一传宗接代的香火，这一现象在一些农村地区守旧家族里尤为明显。

The family planning policy, which was introduced in the 1980s to encourage each couple to have just one child, has pushed the sex ratio at birth up to some degree.

计划生育政策在20世纪80年代出台，鼓励一对夫妻只生一个孩子，这一政策使得出生人口性别比上升到了一定的高度。

Some families prefer boys if they can only have one child, said Chen Jian, Vice³ President of China Society of Economic Reform, adding that the gap between sexes at birth will narrow as the two-child policy is implemented⁴.

中国社会经济体制改革研究会副会长陈建表示，如果只能生一个孩子，有些家庭更愿意选择男孩。他还补充说道，二孩政策的实施将缓解男女性别比的失衡。

If the sex gap continues to exist, it will threaten the population ecology and sustainable economic and social development, said Chen.

若性别失衡仍这样持续下去，则将威胁到人口生态、经济及社会的可持续发展。

"The most noticeable impact is a marriage squeeze. Left-over men will find it more difficult to marry women", Chen added.

“最显著的影响是婚姻挤压，性别比中剩余的男性择偶将更加困难”，陈建补充道。