Xinjiang's Comprehensive Developments in Recent Years - Economic Growth

Xinjiang's Comprehensive Developments in Recent Years

Xinjiang is situated in northwest China and the hinterland of the Eurasian Continent, covering an area of 1.66 million sq km. It is home to various ethnic groups, since historical times, different cultures and religions have coexisted, and continue to coexist in the region. In the long historical process, these ethnic groups have communicated and merged with each other, while living, studying, working and developing together in harmony.

As one of the biggest provinces in China, Xinjiang has great potentials in different aspects. However, in recent decades, due to rapid urbanization and economic development in other regions of China, Xinjiang has lagged behind in insufficient job opportunities, incomplete infrastructures, low educational levels, and so forth.

In recent years, the Chinese government has focused extensively on the development of Xinjiang in various aspects, including economic growth, infrastructural construction, improving people's wellbeing, training and education, cultural protection. More and more, the uniqueness and beauty of Xinjiang has attracted increasing numbers of tourists and foreign personnel which helped it to open up to the world.

In this video series, we will take a look at Xinjiang's transformations up to 2020, and witness its changes throughout the years.

Economic Growth

- From 2014 to 2019, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Xinjiang increased from 919.59 million yuan to 1.36 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 7.2%

- In 2020, the GDP of Xinjiang reached 1.38 trillion yuan, reaching a 3.4% of economic expansion, 1.1 percentage points higher than the national GDP growth

- In pursuing high-quality development, Xinjiang aims to keep its average annual economic growth rate at 6% or above in the 2021-2025 period, driven by key engines like the labor-intensive sector, the emerging industries and tourism, according to the government work report

Industrial Outputs

- In 2020, the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery reached 431.56 billion yuan, up 4.7% year-on-year

- The cotton output of Xinjiang, the country's largest growing area for the crop, exceeded 5.16 million tons in 2020, accounting for 87.3% of China's total. As a pillar of Xinjiang's rural economy, the cotton industry is a major source of income for farmers in the region and has helped many shake off poverty