Thanks to Shanghai's rapidly growing economy,an average family in urban parts of the city now has enough daily disposable income to buy six live chickens,10kilograms of pork or,for vegetarian households,50kilograms of rice.

　　The city's average three-member urban family had 12,883yuan (US,552)in disposable income in 2001,which works out to 105yuan a day,according to a report released recently by the Shanghai Statistics Bureau.Those numbers are up 9.9percent from a year earlier.

　　In Shanghai,where prices have remained stable in recent years,105yuan can buy a great many things,such as three kilograms of shrimp,50kilograms of vegetables or 16kilograms of milk.

　　The sum is also enough for a family of three to enjoy dinner at an average Chinese restaurant,or a trip to McDonald's for a change of taste.

　　When spent on transport,the money could buy 52trips by subway,105bus rides or two family outings to the suburbs on an air-conditioned bus.

　　As China's largest commercial and industrial city,Shanghai has 13.5million permanent residents,or 4.5million households.By the end of April,Shanghai's per capita savings had surpassed 20,000yuan.

　　Separately,Shanghai residents,who used to be proud of purchasing cheaper apartments than fellow home-owners in Beijing,are now paying more because of rapidly rising housing prices since early this year.

　　The average price per square meter reached 4,173yuan (US)in the second quarter of 2002,123yuan (US)more than the first quarter.The first quarter already saw a rise of 6percent over the same period last year.

　　Official analysis shows that the increasing demand for housing in the city is driving up prices.

　　(Xinhua)

　　Shanghai Daily news