Elderly Population Growing in Tibet

Xinhua, 5 January 2002

LHASA, January 5 (Xinhua)—The number of people at the age of over one hundred has reached 116 in Tibet, southwest China, which local authorities say ranks first among the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of the country.

With improvements in the region's social welfare system, the average life expectancy of Tibetans has risen from 36, the figure for 50 years ago, to today's 67, the regional department of social security said Saturday.

Statistics show that in Tibet, there are more than 200,000 people aged over 60 and 118,000 aged over 65, accounting for eight 4.5 percent of the total regional population, respectively.