Shanghai is fast becoming an aging society and according to the city's Civil Affairs Authority, last year saw the first decline in its working-age population.

Even though Shanghai men are known to be more domesticated compared to their other Asian counterparts, it has not led to the patter of little feet.
There is a popular term for Shanghai man - ""xiao nan ren"" loosely translated means ""little men"", or more accurately, domesticated men.
A young boy said: ""To carry bags for ladies is a very common phenomenon.""
An elderly man added: ""I give all my salary to my wife to control.""
They will also help in the marketing and cooking, and even look after babies despite having careers of their own.
Wang Guixin, Director of the Institute of Population Research at Fudan University, said: ""I'm from Shandong, the hometown of Confucius where man are more chauvinist. I have stayed in Shanghai longer than in Shandong and I'm a little ""shanghainized"".
""Men don't cook in Shandong, but I now cook a meal when I get home. My wife keeps my debit card. I don't know how much I make, she knows.""
These are qualities women in other countries say are lacking in their men, but it still has not helped to reverse Shanghai's declining birth rate.
Mr Wang added: ""Shanghai's birth rate is very low. Since the 1990s, especially since we can judge from 1997, the average couple has 0.7 children, this is severe.
""According to my analysis, the population change is influenced by the economy, family planning and the Shanghai culture. The higher the economic level, the higher the education level of women, the lower the birth rate. This is a universal truth.""
Carson Xiao and Ms Janny Hu, a married couple, said: ""It is good to live a free and comfortable life. One doesn't have to marry another to live happily ever after, so people tend to enjoy this type of lifestyle.""
It is estimated that by the year 2050, China will have 300 million people aged 65 and above - that is 25 percent of the population.
After years of strict adherence to the one-child policy, couples who were themselves from one-child families, are now allowed to have two children. But many are still choosing to have only one child.
Hans Wu, 24, who is single, said: ""I've discussed this with my girlfriend and I think one is okay. A kid means social responsibility, not just for the family, it can also be pressure and sometimes a burden.""
Janny Hu added: ""It is a big problem for women graduates like me. We may be ready to get married and have children, but employers will think about having to give us honeymoon and maternity leave. And it could affect our career development.""
Experts say this is a worrying trend as the shrinking pool of working adults will unlikely be able to support a growing elderly population. However, some say that the government can ill-afford to ease the one-child policy too quickly as this may create another challenge for them.
(Source: channelnewasia.com)