Though still insisting on the one-child policy, Shanghai has
stopped awarding couples who wish to remain childless, giving a
hint that the city encourages them to contribute to increasing its
population.
"This is because Shanghai has been confronted with a negative
population growth in the past 11 years. Last year's rate was minus
3.24 percent," said, Xie Lingli, director of the Shanghai
Population and Family Planning Commission.
The city has become China's first city to become an ageing
society, with 2.55 million people aged 60 or over last year,
representing 18.98 percent of its total population.
Xie said this will rise to 20 percent in 2005 and 33 percent in
2020.
"The ageing population has seriously challenged the city's
economic and social development," she said.
It is estimated that in the next few decades, the city's
population will not see much change, with a low birth rate, low
death rate and low growth rate.
The director said the city will also cancel restrictions on when
qualified couples can have their second baby.
That means if the couple meet the criteria to have a second
baby, they can have it whenever they like, she said.
"There are many reasons that lead to young couples not having
children. They do so not just to receive the award. But the measure
shows the city's attitude," said Xie.
Local insiders said the move aims to alleviate the pressure of
an increasingly ageing population on the city.
Ding Jinhong, director of the Institute of Population Research
under East China
Normal University, said that an ageing population will pose a
major challenge to the city's social security system.
Xie revealed that major fluctuations in the number of births in
the city have greatly affected the allocation of social resources
and Shanghai's economic development.
Xie added that "according to the census," there will be major
fluctuations in the future birth rate and in the numbers of people
both in the city's education system and in its workforce.
The size of an average family in Shanghai is falling, according
to officials. In 1949, a family had an average of 4.9 members. The
number dropped to 3.1 in 1990 and 2.8 in 2000.
"However, Shanghai still has the largest population among
Chinese cities, with the highest population density of 2,588 people
per square kilometer," said Xie.
An irrational distribution of population exists, with 40,100
people per square kilometer within the Inner Ring Road and only 900
people per square kilometer in the suburbs.
(China Daily September 8, 2004)