Does youth ministry feed the the gender imbalance or just prepare you for it?

I first entered a church youth group when I was 12.

Over the next six years the group changed a lot over the high school years.

It grew. It shrank.

By the end, I was the only guy left in a group of around eight.

Now, my home church did youth ministry in a slightly unique manner.

For us, each year group would meet separately on a different afternoon after school.

But, the dynamics of my group were not uncommon.

The majority of the groups were female heavy.

Generally, this was also reflected in the youth groups I led, especially over the senior high years. More girls. Less boys.

The gender statistics in the average church will be around 60:40 (women:men). So, for those who emerge from youth ministry, these female loaded demographics won’t be unfamiliar.

But, I wonder, does the male:female breakdown reflect the wider church OR is this where the gender imbalance germinates?

After a few generations of youth ministry, has the gender ratio of churches been cemented within youth ministries?

Or, does youth ministry just coincidental prepare those within it for the church dynamics which lay ahead?