URBAN NOMADS IN SHANGHAI

The sixth nationwide population census started this month.
China had its first population census in 1953 and since the fourth census in 1990, the census is conducted every decade. The over 6 million voluntary census workers are facing difficulties: Many families are too afraid to open the door because of China’s one child policy or because they are migration workers living in the city without any registration.
For the first time the government is showing interest in the rising number of foreign people living in China. (NY Times, 01.11.2010) So even we were asked in the lobby of our apartment building to participate in the census, although we are only here for two and a half months.
From all we’ve heard and read in the newspapers about this census, China seems to be getting just another fake number of their inhabitants. But anyways, the results of the census are expected to be released in April – just in time for our thesis.