Half of Americans prefer to have a boy first

Most couples feel boys are easier to raise than girls

Almost half of Americans want their first child to be a boy, according to a new study.

Out of the 2,129 recently married couples surveyed by money-saving website CouponCodes4You, 47 percent said they would prefer to have a son first, and most said it was because boys are 'less hard work.'

Recommended Videos



Only 21 percent of the respondents said they would like to have a daughter as their first child, and 32 percent said they had no preference either way.

The study also found that the majority of those who wanted a son first , 63 percent, were men themselves, while males made up just 11 percent of those who preferred a daughter as their first child.

While the majority of couples wanted a son first, the reasons behind their gender preferences varied.

Most of the couples who wanted a boy said they felt that having a son would be 'less hard work' than a daughter. On the other hand, a third said they wanted a boy because older sons are better at looking after their younger siblings. About 19 percent admitted they prioritize having a son because they want him to carry the family name.

Even though boys are preferred as the oldest child, couples did not rule out having a girl altogether. About 37 percent said they would like to have a daughter second.

The study found that while raising a boy is perceived as easier, couples who wanted to have a daughter first see older girls as 'better role models' to their younger siblings.

Mark Pearson, chairman of CouponCodes4u, was surprised by his findings, "What the survey does highlight is the fact that gender preference is still an issue that many couples face when they discover they are having a child," he said.

"Hopefully what all parents should remember is that the health of the child is much more important than the gender,' Pearson said.

 Indeed, while the survey revealed a clear disparity between the gender preferences of fathers-to-be versus mothers-to-be, there was one factor they universally agreed on.

Of all the couples, 95 percent said their main priority was having a healthy child.

Â