Using Arcgis10.0 and Moran’s I index method, this paper analyzes changing spatial patterns of population of Xinjiang’s major ethnic groups. The Moran's I index of Xinjiang's every main ethnic group is greater than 0, indicating different aggregation and dispersion of population distribution of Xinjiang’s main ethnic groups. With Tianshan Mountain as the boundary, there is obvious differentiation between the Han and the Uygur ethnic group in southern and northern Xinjiang. In northern Xinjiang, the concentration degree of the Han population is higher, while that of the Uygur ethnic group is higher in southern Xinjiang. No obvious changes were observed of the regional distribution pattern of the Han population and Uygur, Kazak and Mongolian ethnic groups, but considerable change occurred to the regional distribution pattern of the Hui ethnic group over 1982-2010. Policy implications of the above results are discussed at the end of the paper.

Using data from China’s population censuses and sampling surveys, this paper provides a reassessment of China’s fertility since 2005 under the assumption that the 2010 census has  similarly high data quality as the 1990 census. Cohort analysis suggests that population aged 0-5 in the 1990 census is underreported by 7.7%, and population aged 0-5 in the 2010 census is thus adjusted with this rate, which are further translated into annual births and fertility rate over 2005-2010. This paper also provides an estimation of fertility over 2005-2013 using the relationship between total fertility rate and crude birth rate which are based on data from censuses and sampling surveys plus the crude birth rates published by the National Bureau of Statistics. While differences exist in the results from the two type of estimation, they are largely consistent. China’s recent fertility stands at a level that is unlikely below 1.5, and most probably around 1.6. The paper concludes with a discussion of the assumption used in this research and some plausible limitations of the research.