The Statistical Communique on Economic and Social Development in Tibet for 2006 was recently published. It shows that Tibet's population was 2.81 million as of the end of last year, a net increase of 40,000 from 2005. The fertility rate was 1.74 percent, the death rate 0.57 percent and the natural growth rate 1.17 percent. The population has grown by 1.6691 million since the peaceful liberation in 1951.

The average life span for a Tibetan has risen from 35.5 to 67. Tibet's GDP was 29.005 billion in 2006, up 13.4 percent from 2005. The urban per capita disposable income is 8941 yuan, up 6.3 percent from 2005; the rural per capita net income is 2435 yuan, up 17.2 percent.

According to statistics from the Tibetan Department of Public Health, the maternal mortality rate has fallen 50 percent since reform in 1959 to 2.47 percent in 2006; the infant mortality rate has fallen from 43 percent to 24.38 percent.

By People's Daily Online