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 registration 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 aged 60 and upwards, 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 unwilling 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 labor 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.