<p>Shanghai had only 1.17 million registered children aged 14 or younger in 2009.<br />If the trend continues, Shanghai's population will get significantly older and the labour pool will become proportionately smaller, the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission said.<br /><br />The average life span of the local population is now 81.73 years. There were 3.16 million people aged 60 or above, accounting for 22.5 percent of the city's registered population.<br />This percentage will grow to 28.1 in 2015, 34.1 in 2020 and 38 in 2030, the commission said, according to the Shanghai Daily.<br /><br />In contrast, the proportion of children is "seriously low", a trend that bodes ill for the future labour force and the boom city's growth.<br /><br />By 2015, Shanghai is expected to have 21.4 million residents, including migrants. The figure will grow to 22.5 million by 2020.<br /><br />Similar projections about imbalances in China's population have been made by other institutions. A seminar held by a top advisory body said by 2059, each retiree will be supported by fewer than two taxpayers.<br /></p>
<p>Shanghai had only 1.17 million registered children aged 14 or younger in 2009.<br />If the trend continues, Shanghai's population will get significantly older and the labour pool will become proportionately smaller, the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission said.<br /><br />The average life span of the local population is now 81.73 years. There were 3.16 million people aged 60 or above, accounting for 22.5 percent of the city's registered population.<br />This percentage will grow to 28.1 in 2015, 34.1 in 2020 and 38 in 2030, the commission said, according to the Shanghai Daily.<br /><br />In contrast, the proportion of children is "seriously low", a trend that bodes ill for the future labour force and the boom city's growth.<br /><br />By 2015, Shanghai is expected to have 21.4 million residents, including migrants. The figure will grow to 22.5 million by 2020.<br /><br />Similar projections about imbalances in China's population have been made by other institutions. A seminar held by a top advisory body said by 2059, each retiree will be supported by fewer than two taxpayers.<br /></p>