China's aging population poses problems for economy and tradition
We’ve all heard the expression “the old gives way to the new,” but in China, quite the opposite is taking place with a fast-dwindling number of young people and an elderly population that continues to rise. Experts cite increased life expectancy and low birth rates as principal factors in the phenomenon. (Shanghaiist)
2 months ago
China's urban population outnumbers rural for first time
(Photo by franklam2010)
The number of people living in China’s cities for the first time exceeded those in the country’s rural areas at the end of 2011, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday.
The number of urban dwellers increased by 21 million to hit 690.79 million at the end of 2011, accounting for 51.27 percent of the country’s total. Meanwhile, the rural population fell by 14.56 million to 656.56 million. (via Shanghai Daily)
4 months ago
Foreign demographics in Shanghai
Last year’s Shanghai census was the first ever to count foreigners. We learn that there are about 210,000 foreigners living in Shanghai, or just about 1% of the population. That’s about half the foreigner population of Hong Kong (437,000), and double that of Beijing. More figures in Global Times (via Shanghaiist)
8 months ago
Shanghai one of China's 'most miserable' cities
Not a title you should be proud of receiving. According to the report on the happiness of Chinese residents, published earlier this month, Shanghai is third to last out of 100 Chinese cities when it comes to the happiness of its people. Hangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, Changchun and Chongqing take the top five spots as the happiest cities in China — at least, that’s what the China City Competitiveness Research Association and Contemporary China Studies Institute of HKBU says. (CNNGo)
9 months ago
9 months ago
The Economist take on the Chinese one-child policy and its effect on population size if it were theoretically 100% enforced across the board. They couple that with the predictions from the UN a few weeks ago, which estimate the population as it actually will be with the current one-child policy, a policy that has been unevenly implemented with various exemptions and rigidity across China. (Shanghaiist)
10 months ago
Shanghai to “encourage” 4.4 million people to move from downtown to suburbs
We hope this will ease the squeeze in downtown Shanghai: “More than 4.4 million residents will be encouraged to move to the suburbs in 2020 after the city government pledged to build seven new towns with full public service facilities and more job opportunities, the city’s urban planner revealed yesterday.” The seven towns planned are Jiading, Songjiang, Lingang (in Pudong), Qingpu, Nanqiao (in Fengxian), Jinshan and Chongming. (Shanghaiist)
11 months ago
Obesity in children up 25% in a decade
About 13.3 percent of local children are overweight and 6.5 percent are obese, according to a newly released survey. The obesity rate among local schoolchildren has grown by 24.4 percent in the past decade and is close to that found in Western countries, experts said. (Shanghai Daily). Maybe not the aspect that they need to beat the Western countries.
1 year ago
Chinese population grows to 1.37 billion in 2010
The new population figure for the Chinese mainland was 73.9 million more than that of 2000, when China conducted its fifth national census, according to data from the sixth census released by the bureau.
“We need to pay close attention to the new changes of our population structure, adhering to the family planning policy while cautiously and gradually improving the policy to promote more balanced population growth in the country,” Ma said.
He described the upward aging population trend, an expanding floating population and the high boy-to-girl sex ratio among newborns as three major challenges China faced last decade. (Shanghai Daily)
1 year ago
'No, you can't sleep in the kitchen': Shanghai changes its rental laws
Among new policies soon to be enacted in the city, residents need at least five square metes to live in. How kind of them. (CNNGo)
1 year ago
