Key messages

• A ‘male-oriented’ economic structure is an important explanation for gender ratio imbalances.
• Regions with a surplus of males in early adulthood tend to be peripheral rural areas, while females outnumber men in the urban centres and their hinterland.
• Regional gender ratios are highly dependent on the national context.
• The European core area composed by mainly UK, France, Benelux, Western Germany and Switzerland is mainly characterised by female surplus.

More information

• ESPON SEMIGRA - Selective Migration and Unbalanced Sex Ratio in Rural Regions