Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, The Income Gap Study

Xinjiang has made great achievements in economic development since the reform and opening up. And the people's living standard has improved steadily. But, the income distribution gap is also gradually expanding along with the economic development. And the income distribution begins to affect social stability. In recent years, there were some events which affect social stability. When we research those events deeply, we find they are related to the income distribution gap. So, it's necessary to do further study of the income distribution gap.In this paper, the empirical research on Xinjiang income distribution gap is based on data which began from the reform and opening up. It divided Xinjiang income distribution gap into three aspects, the overall income distribution gap, urban-rural income distribution gap and the income distribution gap with different ethnics and areas. This paper uses the Gini coefficient, urban-rural income ratio, annual per capita disposable income of urban households and annual per capital net income of rural households, engel's coefficient and so on to make a research of Xinjiang income distribution gap from horizontal and vertical views. And it analyzes the reasons which cause the income distribution gap in different aspects. Finally, it demonstrates the mechanism between the income distribution gap and and social stability.The basic conclusions of the thesis:there are lots of factors that cause the income distribution gap of Xinjiang. The factors include geographical location, natural resources and industrial distribution, culture, dual economic structure, historical factors, the formal institutional and the informal institutional factors. And the income distribution gap of different ethnics and areas is caused by the factors of geographical location, culture and the informal institutional. The natural conditions, dual economic structure and industrial distribution are the main reasons of the urban-rural income gap. Xinjiang's income distribution gap affects the social stability from three aspects, economic, political and social. And the income distribution gap between southern and northern Xinjiang is the main reason that enlarges the pressure of social stability of Xinjiang.The recommendations of this paper:In the process of economic development in Xinjiang, fairness and efficiency have equally important position. And it's necessary to adjust the balance between efficiency and fairness to achieve coexistence of income distribution gap and social stability. The approaches of balancing the income distribution gap includes establishing a stable funding mechanism for poverty alleviation, increasing investment in education, improving the social security system in backward areas and actively cultivating new points of economic growth.