87% of Shanghai families living under pressure

The main characteristics of modern life in cities include heavy work pressure and intense competition. A recent survey on 875 ordinary citizens from 78 families finds that 87% of families feel the living pressures, especially poor families and middle-aged people.

The survey was launched by Shanghai Association of Marriage and Family Research. Its organizers said that they hope to know the reasons of Shanghai families' pressure, and help to find solutions to ease the problems. The survey shows that the top five reasons of citizens' living pressures are: children's education, their education expenses, economic burden, unemployment, and housing.

The survey finds that more men are worried about their jobs, while more women feel pressures from household chores. Young college graduates hope to learn more and find a decent job, and the middle-aged have to think about a lot of things in their life: their old parents have to be kept healthy, and their children need to get employed and married. If they lose their jobs or divorce, their life will turn harder.