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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 24, 2003

Lives of Tibetans Improve Markedly, Statistics Show

Thirty years ago, when the first tractor appeared in the vast rural areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the curious local farmers fed the "iron ox" with grass.


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Thirty years ago, when the first tractor appeared in the vast rural areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the curious local farmers fed the "iron ox" with grass.

Today, however, it is quite common for Tibetans to possess more and more modern motor vehicles such as tractors, trucks and even luxurious, comfortable private cars as their income is on rise.

Figures from the autonomous regional statistics bureau show that currently, there are more than 40,000 tractors and over 5,000trucks in the rural areas of Tibet.

Private cars are now easily found on the streets of Lhasa city, the regional capital, and other cities in the region. The number of such cars exceeded the 10,000 mark in Tibet in 2000, and it has increased by 10 percent annually, according to statistics.

The outstanding amount of banking deposits of rural and urban Tibetans reached 5.018 billion yuan (more than 600 million US dollars) in 2002, 152 times more than in 1978.

Dawa Toinzhub, deputy director of the autonomous regional statistics bureau, said that as proof of their improved livelihoods, Tibetans now spend more on non-staple foods than staple foods.

According to the latest statistics from the bureau, the per capita consumption of vegetables in urban areas is 0.6 kilograms daily and 0.3 kilograms in rural areas.

The per-capita expenses of urbanites on cereals is 266 yuan (32.16 US dollars) annually, 77 yuan less than in 1995. The per-capita expenses for aquatic products, vegetables, meat and lipids has risen by 67 yuan, 47 yuan, 43 yuan and 18 yuan, respectively when compared with the figures for 1995.

Despite their preferences for traditional Tibetan national costumes and gowns, a growing number of Tibetans are buying popular, stylish coats and garments to their taste.

"The current per-capita expenses on clothing is 1,002 yuan (121US dollars) in Tibet's urban areas, nearly five times more than that for 1990," said Dawa Toinzhub.

Many Tibetans have also seen an improvement in their living conditions, with the per-capita floor space reaching 20.5 square meters in urban areas and 20.56 square meters in rural areas.

Like people in other parts of China, Tibetans also treasured sewing machines, black-and-white television sets and bicycles as the three major household electric appliances back in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, they have replaced the three "old treasures" with color TV sets, refrigerators and washing machines as their income increases markedly.

Statistics show that compared with the 1990s, the current number of sewing machines, black-and-white TVs and bicycles owned by per 100 households has dropped by 37, six and 20, while the number of color TVs, washing machines and refrigerators jumped by 42, 47 and 50 respectively.

Telephones, computers and acoustic equipment are also welcomed by an increasing number of Tibetans.

Qi Weiguo, deputy director of the regional labor and social security bureau, said that with the raising of their living standards, Tibetans today have increased expenses on health care.

Statistics show that the per-capita expenses in this regard are220 yuan (26.6 US dollars) and 41 yuan in urban and rural areas annually, two and eight times the figure for 1995, respectively.

Meanwhile, average life expectancy in the region is 67 at present as against 36 half a century ago. And the number of centenarians in the autonomous region reaches 116, making Tibet one of the provinces and autonomous regions with the largest number of those having lived at least 100 years.


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