Xinjiang Population Maintains Steady Growth

Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China （PRC） in 1949， the population of Xinjiang， particularly that of its ethnic minorities， has grown fast in both size and quality， and life expectancy has seen a substantial increase， according to the white paper Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data recently released by the State Council Information Office.

Xinjiangs population stood at 4.33 million in 1949. By the time of the seventh national census in 2020， it had increased to 25.85 million， among which the Han ethnic group numbered 10.92 million， and ethnic minorities 14.93 million， compared with 4.45 million in 1953.

Since the founding of the PRC， the Uygur population has maintained a relatively high growth rate. During the first two decades of the 21st century， it increased at a compound annual growth rate of 1.67 percent， which was much higher than that of the countrys ethnic minority population， which stood at 0.83 percent.

The economic， social， and family status of women of all ethnic groups has improved， giving them more opportunities to obtain secondary and higher education， and take an active part in economic and social life. The number and proportion of women in employment have significantly increased. In 2019 for example， 228，100 women joined the workforce in cities and towns across Xinjiang， accounting for 47.43 percent of the total newly employed in urban areas.

China Leading in Innovation

In the 2021 edition of the Global Innovation Index released by World Intellectual Property Organization， China maintained its 14th place in 2020， after breaking into the top 15 last year. China is still the only middle-income economy that makes it to the top 30.

The country elevates its ranks in two categories： human capital and research （21st， up by four）， and market sophistication （19th， up by two）. It maintains its world leadership in several key output indicators， including patents by origin， utility models， trademarks， industrial designs， and creative goods exports. China sustains its 12th rank in the creative outputs category. It also maintains the first global place in sub-category intangible assets. China edged into the top 25 in 2016， moved to 17th in 2018， and to 14th in 2019.

Every year， the Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of more than 130 economies around the world.

Elderly Care More Accessible

The central government has spent RMB 27.1 billion to develop senior care facilities and services since 2012， Civil Affairs Minister Li Jiheng said at a recent press conference. China had 329，000 retirement homes and other long-term aged care facilities last year， and the number of beds in such facilities reached 8.21 million， almost doubling since 2012.

China has 264 million people aged 60 or older， accounting for 18.4 percent of the population， according to the latest national census data. Authorities have projected that one in three Chinese will fall into that age group by midcentury.

Most seniors in China want to spend their old age in a familiar environment， surrounded by family members. With that in mind， the ministry launched pilot programs across the country to explore the possibilities of home-based services during the 2016-20 period. The ministry has also worked on bolstering accessibility of old residential communities， and has required developers to include elderly care facilities in new projects.

During the new Five-Year Plan period starting this year， the ministry plans to explore the possibilities of smarter services， elderly care counselors and time banks， which allow people to trade volunteer work for free care services.