Demographics
37 ethnic groups are represented in the XPCC, the largest of which are the Han, Uyghur, Kazakhs, Hui, and Mongol. Muslims, numbered at 250,000, are the largest religious group represented, while there exist smaller populations of Buddhists, Protestants, and Catholics. While the Han have been the largest group of XPCC workers, their relative numbers have seen a decline: from 1980 to 1993 the overall membership of the XPCC remained constant, while Han membership declined from 90% to 88%. About 13% (2002) of the population of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are connected to the XPCC.
| Ethnic groups in XPCC, 2002 estimate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Population | Percentage |
| Han | 2,204,500 | 88.1 |
| Uyghur | 165,000 | 6.6 |
| Hui | 64,700 | 2.6 |
| Kazakh | 42,700 | 1.7 |
| Mongol | 6,200 | 0.3 |
| others | 18,100 | 0.7 |
Source:
The Eighth Division is the most populous division, with a population of 579,300 (2002).
Read more about this topic: Xinjiang Production And Construction Corps