For the first time this century, Shanghai's population experienced a year-on-year decline dropping 0.4% in 2015. That trend has a lot to do with college graduates. Although Shanghai is now one of the most developed cities on the Chinese mainland, not everyone wants to build a career and life there. But that's just fine with city officials, as they are working hard on controlling population growth.
Fourth-year university student Li Hong from Zhejiang Province says he will leave Shanghai after he graduates in June and return to his hometown to find a job.
He said the cost of living in Shanghai is one of the reasons for this.
"It's almost impossible to find a job that provides both a hukou and a high salary, so I'm not thinking about staying," Li said.
His university says more students are planning to leave Shanghai after they graduate, which is a new development.
"Students are now more practical about their careers and incomes, so not everyone expects to build a life in a big city," said Wang Xiaoyong of East China Normal University.
The city is also working on a plan to trim its population in the suburbs. Some districts have been removing "underground hotels", which offer inexpensive accommodation for migrant workers with low incomes.
"We have seen some progress by removing illegal constructions in our district. Nearly 20,000 people left after we demolished illegal buildings in one village," said Zhao Qi, party chief of Minghang District.
Although some are worried that the decrease in the city's migrant population may affect the supply of labor, city officials say they intend to be rational about the population. In December, the city government said it had set a permanent population target of 25 million.
"The goal is in line with the city's population growth trend. We will also need to consider the city's development plans and resources," said Wang Jianping, director of Shanghai Statistic Bureau.
Shanghai's huge population has led to complaints about services such as transportation, education and healthcare, so this new trend will certainly be welcomed by most.
