About one-third of eligible couples applied for permits for a second child in Fujian province last year, the Straits News reported on Feb 6, citing figures from the provincial health authority.

The number of applications from April to December totaled 30,572, of which 30,119 of them were granted, while the number of couples meeting the requirements of giving birth to a second baby in Fujian last year was 90,000, said an official from the provincial health and family planning commission.

Fujian eased its "one child" policy in March, allowing couples who were both an only child to have a second baby.

The adjusted birth policy triggered a wave in second-child applications. A total of 7,735 couples in Fuzhou were approved birth permits from April to December, followed by Xiamen and Quanzhou at 5,481 and 3,997, respectively.

The application peaked in May at 5,456, and has witnessed a downward trend since then, with only 1,955 being approved in December.

About 380,000 second children are expected in Fujian this year, which won't put too much pressure on public resources such as medical service and education, the commission said.