The resident population of Tibet Autonomous Region in southwestern China had reached 2.76 million by November 1, 2005, up 5.73 percent on the figure five years ago,according to the regional statistics bureau.

According to the sample census in Tibet, the population of Han nationality reached 180,000, accounting for 4.22 percent of Tibet's permanent population; population of other ethnic groups reached 2.58 million, making up 93.46 percent of the total population.

Compared with the Fifth National Population Census conducted in 2000, the Han population rose by 20,000, or 0.76 percent, in Tibet,while the population of ethnic groups rose by 130,000, or 5.28 percent.

Tibet's urban population is 740,000, 26.65 percent of the region's total population; the rural population is 2.02 million, 73.35 percent of the region's total. The ratio of Tibet's urban population has risen by 7.22 percent since the turn of the century.

Males make up 49.46 percent of the population. The group aged 14 and younger accounted for 27.43 percent of the total; the group aged between 15 and 64 stood at 66.43 percent; those aged 65 or older made up 6.14 percent.

The sample census also revealed that local residents are much better educated than five years ago.

Tibet now has 66,792 college graduates, a rise of 4,400 from five years ago; 52,491 people are senior high school graduates, 22,900 more than five years ago. Those who completed elementary schooling number 979,800, a rise of 77,900.

The figures are the outcome of the one-percent sample census conducted by the Tibet regional bureau and it was part of China's third one-percent sample census conducted on the same day. The Chinese government started to conduct one-percent sample censuses in the 1980s in between thorough National Censuses.

China's population had risen to 1.306 billion by November 1, 2005, up 3.2 percent from the figure on November 1, 2000.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2006)