The Chinese city of Shanghai has been bestowed upon the title of – ‘most popular city’ for the floating population. A recent study conducted by Value Line, a Shanghai-based financial magazine. The astounding figures brought up by the research are as follows-
- Shanghai witnessed a total influx population of about 9.54 million.
- Beijing ranked second with a net influx of about 7.72 million.
The results of the survey have only increased fears amongst Shanghai’s residents; excruciating pressure on the city’s economic and social resources has long been a concern amongst residents and researchers alike.
Wen Jun, the Director of Institute of Sociology at East China Normal University said, ‘’As the country’s financial hub and an international metropolis, Shanghai undoubtedly has great appeal for those on the move. More and more people are heading towards the city to improve the economic growth of the city.”
Migrants prefer to move the urban areas due the advantages that are offered, social resources like education, public facilities, wider availibility of jobs etc are few of those advantages.
However the intense pressure of such a heavy inflow of population is taking a toll on the infrastructure of the city. Official figures reveal that the city’s hospitals received an approximate of 214 million patient visits in a single year, the highest in the country. More than 60 percent of patients in hospitals are non- Shanghai residents.
Further concerns lie in the establishment of the Shanghai Free Trade zone which will not only bolster economic growth, but also attract more immigrant population.
The classic push and pull scenario is a given for any country with a large population, however an imbalance on any one side can be detrimental to the country’s state of affairs.
It now remains to see whether the Chinese government further emboldens its efforts to develop more areas within the country and equitise resource distribution.
Photo Credits: Enjoyyourholiday
