The economy of China's Xizang Autonomous Region has expanded more than 150 times over the past six decades, with figures highlighting sharp gains in incomes, infrastructure and social services as the remote elevated region accelerates modernization.
Gross domestic product reached 276.5 billion yuan ($38.5 billion) in 2024, compared with 1.8 billion yuan in 1965, according to government figures. Per capita GDP rose from 241 yuan to 71,000 yuan during the same period, more than a 300-fold increase. The region's first 100 billion yuan in output took 50 years to achieve, while the second 100 billion was added in just six years.
Alongside economic growth, Xizang has eradicated absolute poverty. Some 628,000 people and 74 counties were officially lifted out of poverty, with the headcount ratio dropping from over 80 percent before 1959 to zero in 2019. Rising living standards are also reflected in health outcomes, with average life expectancy climbing from 35.5 years before 1959 to 72.5 years in 2024.
Income growth has been broad-based. Urban disposable incomes rose from around 456 yuan in the 1960s to 55,444 yuan last year, while rural disposable incomes increased from about 108 yuan to 21,578 yuan.
Agriculture has seen similar transformation. Grain harvests climbed from 265,000 tonnes in 1965 to 1.13 million tonnes in 2024, including a record 888,000 tonnes of highland barley. The farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery sectors generated 36.2 billion yuan in value last year, up 11.5 percent year on year.
These shifts have paved the way for a more diversified economy in Xizang. In 1959, the region's primary sector made up 70.9 percent of local output; by 2024 it had fallen to 8.8 percent, with secondary industries at 36.9 percent and services at 54.3 percent. Tourism has become a pillar, generating 74.6 billion yuan in revenue last year.
The growth momentum has continued this year. In the first quarter of 2025, the region's GDP rose 7.9 percent year on year, outpacing the national average of 5.4 percent. Fixed-asset investment jumped 27.7 percent, industrial output 17.9 percent and retail sales 11.1 percent, while rural incomes grew 8.1 percent.
Infrastructure has also been overhauled. Road mileage expanded from a handful of dirt tracks to 124,900 km by 2024, including 1,196 km of expressways. Rail lines stretch for 1,359 km, with work under way on the Sichuan–Xizang line. The region now operates 183 flight routes to 81 cities, while digital connectivity has reached full coverage, supported by 17,000 5G base stations.
Energy development has followed a similar trajectory. Power generation rose from 26 million kilowatt-hours in 1965 to 14.4 billion kWh in 2024, with more than 99 percent coming from clean energy, the highest share nationwide.
From subsistence farming to modern industries, and from horse couriers to 5G networks, Xizang's transformation reflects both economic progress and improvement of living standards.