Census data indicates that the gap between the number of boys and girls born in China has reduced for three consecutive years. China's imbalanced gender ratio is a major demographic problem and Chinese families traditionally prefer male to female children.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's gender ratio stood at 117.78 newborn boys for every 100 baby girls in 2011, a decline from 119.45 in 2009 and 117.94 in 2010.

This result indicates that government measures, including crackdowns on illegal prenatal gender tests and selective abortions, are proving effective, said the National Population and Family Planning Commission.

A natural gender ratio at birth should be somewhere between 103 and 107 boys to every 100 girls.