Population and Population Density

The Tibet Autonomous Region is the least populous and the most sparsely populated region in China. The Fifth National Population Census in 2000 reported a population of 2.6163 million in Tibet, a net increase of 1.62 million over 1950, but still less than 2.1 people per square kilometer, including 2.4111 million Tibetans (92.2 percent), 155,300 Han (5.9 percent) and the remaining 49,900 (1.9 percent) of other ethnic groups.

Population Growth

Since 1970 the birth rate and natural growth rate in Tibet have both exceeded the national average. Between 1982 and 1990, there was an increase of 309,800 in the ethnic Tibetan population, a 17.34 per thousand natural growth rate, 2.64 per thousand points above the nation's average over the same period. For the last 10 years the Tibetan population has increased 420,300,or 40,700 by 38,000 per year on average. Tibetans' health has also greatly improved. Average life-expectancy has increased from 36 years before the peaceful liberation in 1951 to 65 years today.

Beginning in the 1970s, China has widely implemented a family planning and population control policy, advocating one child for one couple. However, in Tibet the autonomous region's government has adopted special policies corresponding to local realities. The one-child policy has been applied only to ethnic Han cadres and workers working in Tibet, not to the ethnic Tibetans themselves. In 1984 the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region began to advocate family planning among the ethnic Tibetan cadres and workers and urban residents, encouraging couples wanting a second child to delay doing so. Currently, 12 percent of the total population is following family planning. Family planning work proceeds from the free will principle. Forced abortion in any form is opposed and prohibited. Farmers and herdsmen, whose families constitute 88 percent of the population, are not subject to family planning policies. However, they do receive education on scientific contraception methods, rational arrangements for birth, sound child rearing, protecting the mother and infant's health and raising the overall quality of the population. Government health departments supply safe, reliable health service to farmers and herdsmen who voluntarily request assistance in birth control.

At present, the annual birth rate of Tibet exceeds 23 per thousand and the natural growth rate over 15 per thousand. The government of the autonomous region has targeted a natural growth rate of 16 per thousand to limit population growth.