Shanghai soon to be city of geriatrics
文章来源: 文章作者: 发布时间:2009-06-26 07:29 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Shanghai's permanent population graph is likely to dip further this year, the authorities said yesterday.

The births of 96,700 children were registered with the city's hukou, or household registration1 system last year, while 107,000 died, following a 15-year negative natural growth, said a report from the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau.

In 2009, the number of childbearing women, between 20 and 29, is declining, while that of people above 60 is on the rise, it said.

Last year there were more than 1 million women between 20 to 29, the highest in the past two decades, and above 3 million aged2 60 and upwards3, more than 21 per cent of the city's total permanent population.

By 2025, the latter group is supposed to grow to one-third of the city's total population.

"Since the early 1990s, Shanghai has been seeing a low birth rate and high death rate," said Ren Yuan, a professor with the Population Institute of Fudan University.

"It is a result of family planning and in recent years young people are less willing to give birth," said Ren, citing high living costs as another factor causing a decline in birth rates.

"In a highly competitive society, leaving work to give birth could make women lose opportunities for better career development," he said, adding that young urban couples are often unwilling4 to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of having a baby.

The presence of elderly people in large numbers is an additional burden on the working age group who support the city's social welfare system, according to Professor Gui Shixun of Shanghai Normal University.

While Shanghai is spending more on facilities and healthcare for the aged, it's the families who have to take on the extra load, he added.

As more and more elderly people stop working in the city, Shanghai will lose out on its labor5 force and need more immigrants to make up for it, Ren said.

By the end of last year, there were nearly 19 million registered residents in the city, among whom 6 million did not have a hukou registration.

Last month Shanghai, known to be a keen population watcher, announced policies approving permanent residency to talents from outside, laying out the rules for the first time.

"The new policy is not made because of the negative natural growth of the population, but could, in a way, adjust the city's population structure," Ren said.

Questions:

1. Shanghai has had how many years of negative natural growth?

2. According to Ren Yuan what are the reasons why there is a low birth rate?

3. What policy did Shanghai approve last month?

Answers:

1. 15 years.

2. Family planning and young people are less willing to give birth because of high living costs and women not wanting to lose out on career opportunities.

3. To allow permanent residency to talents from outside the city.



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1 registration ASKzO     
n.登记,注册,挂号
参考例句:
  • Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
  • What's your registration number?你挂的是几号?
2 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
3 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
4 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
5 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
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