Pros and cons of having a second child

Financial pressure is the main reason that local couples do not want a second child, according to a report released yesterday.

About 56 percent of those surveyed said they did not have plans for a second child, and a further 35.5 percent were considering whether to have a second baby. Only less 10 percent said they had or planned to have a second child.

The report was released by Institute of Sociology of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, which surveyed 2,079 people. The report said non-local residents had a higher ratio of having a second child than residents with local residency or hukou; and local residents were much more unwilling to have a second child.

Among those who planned to have a second child, 64 percent said the main reason for doing so was out of concern that a single child would be lonely. About 18 percent of those wanting a second child said it was because they liked children and a further 10 percent said it was to appease their own parents.

About 44 percent of those who planned to have a second child wanted to have the baby in one or two years. About 57 percent did not care about the baby's sex, while 30 percent wanted to have a girl, and 13 percent a boy.

Financial pressure was followed by concerns over physical and housing conditions as the main reasons for not having a second child.