News from Shanghai Population and Family Planning Committee says that after witnessing the first negative population growth (- 1.20 permillage) in China in 1994 Shanghai experienced its first "zero natural growth rate" of permanent population in 2004.

Population natural growth rate refers to the ratio between population natural growth (new births minus deaths) within a particular period of time and the average population within that period. By the end of 2004 permanent population in Shanghai was 17.4215 million. Birth rate of permanent population was 6��, one permillage point higher than in 2003.

In 2004 Shanghai permanent population had 102,900 new births, increasing by 19,500 or 23.4 percent compared with 2003. Deaths among Shanghai permanent population during the same period were 103,500, decreasing by 2,700 or 2.5 percent compared with 2003. Death rate of permanent population was 6.0 permillage, 0.4 permillage points lower than in 2003. The birth rate and death rate of Shanghai population offset each other to see a "zero growth".

Influenced by the baby boom at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s new births in Shanghai will see evident growth in 2006. According to experts new births in Shanghai will reach a peak by the year 2009.

By People's Daily Online