Shanghai will have another baby boom this year as more than 160,000 births are expected, the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Committee said Tuesday.

By the end of June, 76,500 babies were born in the city, a year-on-year rise of 21.20 percent. The number of birth is expected to hit 160,000 by the end of this year, an increase of 20 percent over last year, which means an additional 25,000 births, the committee said.

The committee also predicted that the number of new births may rise to 175,000 next year.

The population growth this year was mainly caused by the country's marriage peak and a high maternity rate in the city as many young women try to have babies in the "Golden Pig Year," which many believe to be an especially auspicious time according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the committee explained.

A rising number of migrants coming to settle down in the city also contributed to the baby boom, the committee added.

Some city officials worry that the baby boom may result in a series of social problems, with too many children competing for spots in schools or jobs over the next several decades.

According to the 11th Five Year Plan, the city's population is expected to reach 19 million by 2010.