Shanghai chauvinists may be disappointed to find out "non-locals" - or residents without a Shanghai hukou - will one day become the majority in the city, according to a recent study. More than 51 per cent of newborns' parents do not have a local hukou , or residential registration in Shanghai, the Oriental Morning Post reported. A decade ago, the figure was just 21.6 per cent. And the newborns won't get a Shanghai hukou either. These non-locals include migrant workers, engineers and white-collar clerks who have all played a big role in Shanghai's rise to global prominence. And if the figures are anything to go by, their importance to the city will continue to increase as talent and labour across China relocate to the financial hub for work. Bias against non-natives remains deep-rooted in Shanghai despite former mayor Xu Kuangdi's advice in the '90s to embrace the capable so as to develop the city into an international metropolis. But Shanghai natives cannot deny that non-locals ranging from construction workers to scientists have contributed much to the city's dizzying rise over the past two decades. During Lunar New Year each year, Shanghai is transformed into almost a ghost town as millions of migrant workers return to their hometowns, leaving the locals helpless as they struggle to find electricians or plumbers to fix their household problems. The city has an estimated population of 24 million, yet the number with a local hukou stands at only 14 million. The biggest benefit of having the permit lies in education, as non-locals cannot take part in college entrance examinations organised by the city's education authorities. High school pupils who don't have permanent residency have to return to their hometowns to take the exams. But it is easier to earn a place in a university by sitting the Shanghai exams as the city's admission ratio is much higher than the national average. Single adults without a Shanghai hukou are also barred from buying property in the city. In theory, non-locals living and working in Shanghai are eligible to apply for a permit after seven years. But last month, Mayor Yang Xiong said the 169,000 people who qualified might not necessarily get it as the municipality held the ultimate power on whether to give it. Non-locals are holding onto a ray of hope, though, as the city's birth rate is on the decline despite the relaxation of the one-child policy. When the number of university places in Shanghai finally exceeds the number of students with local hukou , the city officials might then be forced to waive the admission rules on residency. Only then can Shanghai begin to embrace the "non-local" residents it has long viewed as aliens to the city. ren.wen@scmp.com