Expo city Shanghai will realize zero growth in population by 2015, the first region to reach that goal in China, followed by Beijing and Tianjin in 2018, according to the Report on Scientific Development of China 2010 released by the Chinese Academy of Science, china.com.cn reported Thursday.

The study considered both natural science and human elements, pointing the way for China's "green development," namely to realize national zero growth in population by 2030, to realize zero growth in resources and energy consumption by 2040 and zero growth in ecological degradation by 2050, the report said.