The Chinese government repeatedly denies allegations that it practices a policy of population transfer into Tibet. Meanwhile, Tibetans are currently a minority in five of ten autonomous prefectures. Official sources understate Chinese presence in Tibet. Authorities recorded the total Tibetan population of all the areas with Tibetan autonomous status as 4.34 million. The non-Tibetan population in the same area was officially given as 1.5 million.
Official figures fail to record the non-registered floating Chinese population in Tibet.
The floating population includes those who have maintained their household registration in a Chinese province and those who have not been in Tibet for more than one year. This population also includes the large number of settlers who have migrated to Tibet on their own volition and without legal registration. These settlers are often given preferential treatment for jobs and establish private shops and restaurants. Official Chinese population figures do not account for military presence in Tibet. A 1990 Party document estimated the number of military personnel in the TAR as 50,000, however other sources estimate the figure at between 100,000-200,000.