JINAN, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Shandong, the eastern Chinese province known for its high birth rate, reported a substantial drops in its new births and birth rates last year, local authorities have said.

(File photo: VCG)

The Shandong Bureau of Statistics said the province saw births of 1.33 million babies in 2018. This marks a decrease from 1.75 million in 2017 and a further drop from 2016, when the number of new births jumped to 1.77 million after the country abolished its one-child policy.

Its birth rate also declined to 13.26 per 1,000 from 17.54 per 1,000 recorded in 2017, according to the bureau.

Since 2016, China has allowed all couples to have two children, putting an end to a 40-year-long single-child policy. Despite the new policy incentives, China saw 15.23 million new births in 2018, down from 17.58 million in 2017.

Shandong has in recent years stood out among Chinese provinces for its parents' strong will to give birth. In 2017, the province's new births accounted for one-tenth of the national total, which helped push its permanent population to surpass the 100-million mark.