Maya, an Economist reader in the fifth grade at school, recently wrote to us asking if we could report more good-news stories. This week we have a big one. The number of girls aborted for being girls has dramatically fallen. In 2000 an estimated 1.6m baby girls were “missing”, if you compare the sex ratio at birth with what would occur naturally; this year that number is expected to be 200,000. 

In much of Asia, the spread of ultrasound scans and a strong traditional preference for baby boys resulted in the widespread termination of girls. This led, years later, to a big surplus of young men who could not get married. The glut of frustrated bachelors was socially destabilising, leading to an increase in violent crime. 

Happily, the prejudices underpinning sex-selective abortion appear to have ebbed, even if they have not disappeared. Meanwhile, a preference for girls is emerging, especially in rich countries. Our cover package this week explores the causes and possible consequences of this, good and bad.