A city forecast shows the third baby boom is expected in the next 10 years with annual newborns expected to reach a peak of 160,000 in 2014 and 2015.

The Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Commission released the population figures on Saturday.

The forecast aims to help local residents plan births to avoid the peaks, so as to improve the unbalanced population structures and maintain sustainable development of the economy and society.

"The population forecast may help the local residents choose a proper time to have babies," said Xie Lingli, director of the commission during a news conference.

Statistics from the commission show that during the first six months of this year the city's residents gave birth to 48,200 infants, an amazing 22.2 per cent increase over the previous year.

Based on the statistics, population experts estimate the city will greet a total of 100,000 new children this year, compared with the 83,000 newborns last year.

Xie contributes the rapid population increase to a large number of women at the childbearing age, with 900,000 aged between 20 and 29. During the last four years, the population of this age group - the most active childbearing group - increased very fast, up 50,000 each year.

Meanwhile, more local families are qualifying to have their second children, according to the city's family planning policy. More infants have been registered in Shanghai since the residence registration policy changed last August.

(People's Daily  September 27, 2004)