Shanghai's population growth expected to plateau

Urbanization brought pressures, but regulation to manage numbers succeeded, experts said

People visit the Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai in February. ZHOU DONGCHAO/CHINA DAILY

Multiple measures implemented since last year intended to curb a rapid rise in Shanghai's population have been effective, and the city's population growth will plateau in the coming few years, experts said.

Experts made the remarks on Thursday after the city's Party committee said that a ceiling on the city's permanent resident population is targeted for below 25 million by 2020, an increase of 740,000 from the current figure.

Shanghai has been facing persistent population pressure due to rapid urbanization and the comparatively high income standard in the city. The latest numbers from the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau showed that the number of permanent residents surged from 16.08 million in 2000 to 24.26 million in 2014. Among the permanent residents last year, 14.29 million had household registration in Shanghai.

"The various regulatory measures taken since last year have actually made the city's total population, including the mobile population, lower than what it was two years ago. The city's permanent population is predicted to become steady, or may even show a negative growth," said Zhou Haiwang, deputy director of the Institute of Urban and Population Development Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

He said the regulations have targeted mainly immigrants, as they contributed significantly to Shanghai's jump in population.

One measure was the adjustment of industrial structure and the reduction in the number of jobs, Zhou said, especially in low-end manufacturing.

Another measure was to dismantle unapproved construction projects in residential communities, especially those properties that were expanded or renovated by the owners.

"For example, more than 2 square km of such construction was torn down in Xupu village, Huacao town of Minhang district, earlier this year and more than 6,000 people were found to have settled in the illegally expanded establishments without holding a residence permit," Zhou said.