II. Population
Situation
1. Size and Distribution
In the sense
of population size, Ningxia is quite small. To the Liberation in 1949,
the population is only 1,197,500. After the establishment of the
Autonomous Region in 1958, the population boomed very quickly. Till
1997, the total population of the region is 5,289,000, becoming the
third from the bottom among all provinces and autonomous regions of the
country, only more than Qinghai Province and Tibet Region.
The Hui
Nationality is the largest ethnic group except the Han, and the
percentage of Hui population of Ningxia in 1997 is 33.98%. Ningxia has
no other sizable ethnic minority, and all of them put together occupy
only 0.51% of the total.
Ningxia’ population distribution is
uneven
geographically, and so do the social and economic development levels.
In those better-irrigated areas of the north with better natural
conditions, the land is relatively densely populated. Whereas in dry
land of the middle and high cold land of the south, people is sparely
distributed.
2.
Population History
As we
mentioned before, Ningxia has experienced a population boom after the
establishment of the Public in 1949. The procedure of booming can be
divided into four stages, from a somehow very sharp increase to a
rather stabilized one.
Stage one (1950-1959): a booming
period. It was
an unprecedented population increase in history, not only caused by in
migration of 523,500 persons throughout the decade, but also the very
high fertility, upper 40 per thousand in 6 years of the decade. As the
result, the total population significantly increased from 1,197,500 of
1949 to 2,088,600 of 1959.
Stage two (1960-1962): the stagnant
period. China
then was in the time of economic difficulties caused by three-year
natural disasters. Ningxia’ fertility reduced obviously and large
amount of people moved out. Thus, negative growth emerged and the total
population decreased to 1,988,100.
Stage three
(1963-1982): The fast growing period. Then, China was experiencing the
so called Cultural Revolution” and the Ningxia’s has completely no
fertility regulation. Therefore, the Ningxia’s population in this
period has a biggest increase that lasted for quite a long time. The
average increase rate throughout the period is 3.47%, and the
population almost doubled. Till 1982 the total number reached 3,930,400.
Stage four
(1983-now) The Stabilized period. The whole region has been covered by
family planning program. The fertility was markedly reduced, although
still higher than the mean level of the whole country. The total
population of 1997 is 5,289,000, that is 632,000 more than the figure
of 1990.
3.
Population Structure by Sex and Age
From 50s-90s,
the sex rate of Ningxia’s total population has experienced three
trends: firstly, increase, later, sharp decrease, and eventually slow
decrease. The sex ratio increased from 115.55 of 1953 to 117.99 of
1960. Till 1970, the ratio decreased to 108.31. Then, the ratio
decreased continuously to 105.45 of 1990, which is 0.59 % lower than
the mean level of the whole country. The ratio of 1997 is 105.68.
In 80s and the
decades before, obvious variations can be observed between rural and
urban areas and parts of the Region. For instance, townships have the
highest sex ratio, cities the lower, and counties the lowest.
Shizuishan coal mine district once has a high sex ratio of 114.65 in
1982, but reduced to normal soon after the households registration
system was switched. Since 1990, the sex ratio between areas tend to be
normal, and difference between rural and urban has been gradually fade
away. In 1997, sex ratio of the total population of t he Region is
105.68.
Apart from the figure of 1964 (101.09),
Ningxia’s
sex ratio at birth for five decades is almost within the range of
normal. Since 1990s, the ratio stabilized at 105-106, except 1997, when
it raised to 109.
4.
Fertility Level and Changes
The
reproduction pattern of Ningxia is now in the course of a turning, from
continuous increase to stabilization. In the year of 1997, the
fertility of the whole Region is 18.90 per thousand, and the natural
increase rate 13.47 per thousand. Obvious differences can be observed
between mountainous areas and plain areas: fertility of mountainous
areas is 21.34 per thousand, natural increase rate is 15.96 per
thousand, and family planning rate 73.80 %. While plain areas has a
fertility of 14.67 per thousand, natural increase rate of 9.72 per
thousand, and family planning rate of 90.65 %. 1997 is the twelfth
years on a fertility peak in succession. Counties in Southern
mountainous part of Ningxia are viewed as the most difficulty areas for
fertility regulation. Generally, growth rates of minorities are higher
than Han Nationality. Comparing to figures of 1996, the population of
Hui and all other minorities respectively increased 2.01% and 5.52 %,
while the Population of Han only increased by 1.18% in the same year.
5.
Mortality and Life Expectancy
During the
past half century, the death rate of Ningxia decreased sharply, from
22.4 per thousand of 1952, to 5.43 per thousand of 1997. Before the
Liberation of 1949, the mortality of Ningxia is even higher than 30 per
thousand, and the infant death rate is higher than 200 per thousand.
Obvious variations can also be observed between districts: the Northern
part has a lower mortality while the Southern part a higher one, and
the mortality of rural areas is higher than that of urban. The
mortality curve of Ningxia presented a J-shape, owing to an obvious
postpone of death age and greatly reducing of infant death rate.
The average
life expectancy of Ningxia Population in 1990 is 68.62, among which
male is 67.83 while female is 69.89, which is respectively lower than
the mean levels of the whole country by 0.27 and 1.75.
6. Marriage Status, Family Size and Type
Marriage of
Ningxia is characterized by low rate of never-married, high rate of
married, low rate of widowhood, and low rate of divorce. Among
never-married, there are more males than females, more urban
inhabitants than rural ones, more plain people than mountain people,
and more primary school graduates than illiterates and
semi-illiterates. The spouse rate of Ningxia by age groups presents
somehow a U-shape, caused by higher spouse rates in groups of female
under 39 and groups of male above 40. Hui’s spouse rates in general are
higher than Han and all other nationalities. Most husbands are older
than wives, and the mean age differential between husbands and wives is
3.87 years. The rate of widowhood increases in higher age groups, with
more females than males.
As for divorce rates, male Han is
higher than Hui,
but lower than other minorities. Whereas female Han’s rate is lower
than Hui as well as all other minorities. Differentials can also be
find between rural and urban. Both male and female in urban has high
rates than rural. In recent years, non- marriage rates of male
increased while the rates of female are decreasing which is accompanied
by the trend of gradually postponed age of marriage of female. It can
be related with the improvement of women’s social status and education.
The size of households is shrinking,
but differs
by urban and rural. In 1990, the average size of each household in
Ningxia is 4.57 persons, while in 1997 it reduced to 4.11 persons.
Inhabitant pattern is changing, and nuclear family increased quickly.
For instance, in 1990, nuclear family occupies 75.34% of the total,
which increased by 2.73 compared with the figure of 1982. While in
1997, the percentage of nuclear family is 80%. The percentage of
two-generation household is 71.8%, and one generation household is
8.2%. Compared with the figure of 1982, single person household in 1990
decreased by 8.16%, occupies 2.25% of the total. It can be explained by
relating with the trend of decrease in non-married. The single person
household increased a little to 3.3% in 1997. The percentage of stem
family household is rather stable in 1990s, that is 15.41% in 1990 and
16.7% in 1997.
7. Aging
of Population
From the 1949 to 1982, the age
structure pattern
of Ningxia Region is young. Since carrying out family planning program
in 1982, age structure transferred significantly, although differential
between urban and rural still exists. Till 1990, age structure of urban
areas has transferred into the “adult pattern”, while in rural areas
the structure remains as the “pattern of children”. In 1997, the age
structure of Ningxia is: 0-14 age group occupies 29.53% of the total,
age group of 15-64 is 66.18%, age group of 65 and plus 4.29%. The ratio
of dependants /providers of the total population is 51.11%, higher than
47.09%, the mean level of the country in the same year. The ratio of
child/provider and aged/provider are respectively 44.63% and 6.48%.
8.
Population Quality
Along with the
sharp reduction of the rate of illiteracy and semi-illiteracy, the
education level of Ningxia population raised dramatically. For
instance, the ratio of university graduates/illiteracy increased from
7.26 of 1990 to 14.2 of 1997. But the illiteracy rate is still quite
high: 23.1% in 1997, among which, 67.3% are women.
In Ningxia
Region, difference in education levels can be find by ethnic groups.
The Hui Nationality has the lowest education level, the Han’s is higher
than Hui, and all other nationalities together are the highest. In
1990, the illiteracy rate of all other nationalities is 10.08%, and the
mean per capita education year is 7.3 years. Han has the illiteracy
rate of 26.36% and mean education year is 5.6 years. The illiteracy
rate of Hui is as high as 50.40%, and the mean education year 3.2
years.
Among Hui Population, the percentage of
primary
graduate is 31.12%, junior middle school graduate 18.07%, senior middle
school graduate 14.21%, university graduate 12.47%. The university
graduate/illiteracy ratio is 2.01.
9.
Migration and Population Floating
According to
statistics of household registration department of the Government, the
migrated person around the Region in 1997 is 98,052. It decreased by
absolute value of 12, 671, or by relative value of 11.44%, compared to
the figure of 1996. Economic activities are reported as the main reason
for these migrations, such as laboring, business, and so on, occupying
84% of the total. Other reasons for move out are official business
trip, hospitalization, and relative or friend visiting. Most migrations
last less than one year. Among migrants, the percentage of male is
70.95%, much higher than female’s of 29.05%. Migration within the
Region is 54%, more than inter-provincial migration.
- Population,
Resources and Environment
