Sex ratio, literacy rate of Tibetans-in-exile up: survey

DHARAMSALA - The sex ratio, literacy rate and population of the Tibetans-in-exile have increased in the past 11 years, said a report released here Saturday.

The sex ratio for Tibetan population in exile has gone up. Its presently 798 females for 1,000 males against 792 in 1998, said the planning commission of the central Tibetan administration in its report titled Demographic Survey of Tibetans-in-Exile-2009.

The survey, conducted in April 2009 worldwide by the government-in-exile based here, said the total population of Tibetans outside Tibet stood at 127,935, comprising 70,556 males and 57,379 females.

There are 94,203 Tibetans living in India, 13,514 in Nepal, 1,298 in Bhutan and 18,920 elsewhere, said the report.

The last census conducted in 1998 put the number of Tibetans-in-exile at 111,020.

The report said the annual population growth rate of Tibetans-in-exile, which was hovering around 2.8 percent for the last 30 years, is 1.96 percent.

The Dalai Lama along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India and has been settled in this hill station in north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in 1959. His government-in-exile based here, however, is not recognised by any country.