The birth rate among the registered population in Ningbo decreased 19.24 percent in the first half of this year, according to official data from the Ningbo municipal health commission.

From January to June, a total of 17,945 newborn babies were registered in the city, 4,275 less than the same period in 2019.

Cixi (2,942) topped the city's administrative divisions in terms of number of newborn babies, followed by Yinzhou (2,619), Ninghai (2,281)and Yuyao (2,198).

A total of around 36,000 births are expected to take place in the city this year, a sharp decrease from last year. 

The percentage of newborn babies who were a family's second child accounted for 38.99 percent of the total, a decline of 2.5 percent from the same period last year.

This percentage has been shrinking since it reached its peak of 44.43 percent in Ningbo in 2017, and the figure for this year is expected to stand at about 38 percent. 

Local authorities announced that they will step up efforts to enhance child care services in an effort to boost the birth rate.