Baby boom expected in Year of Monkey

A nurse takes care of a new-born baby in a hospital in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong province, Feb 8, 2016. [Photo/IC]

"In China, people are inclined to have children in auspicious years, such as the year of dragon, horse and monkey of course. The phenomenon is even more obvious in North China," said Zhai Zhenwu, president of the School of Sociology and Population Studies under the Renmin University of China in Beijing.

Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 8 this year, marks the beginning of the Year of Monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac that assigns one of the 12 animals to each year. The monkey ranks the ninth in the cycle, proceeded by the sheep and followed by the rooster.

"Especially after the Year of Sheep, an animal believed by many means a sad life to babies born in the year," said Zhai.

Even more favorable for parents, both new and old, China dropped its one-child policy last year and allows each family to have two children.

"My wife and I hesitated at the beginning, but we soon made up our mind to have a second child as many friends have begun raising their second," said Zhang Yu who is in his 40s and works at a financial institution in Shanghai.

"Bachelors are normally nagged to get married by their parents during Spring Festival. If you are married, parents will continue nag you to have children," said Chen Yu, a resident from Hangzhou.

According to Chinese family planning authorities, the two-child policy will add an estimated 3 million babies annually for a total of 17.5 to 21 million newborns each year in the next five years.