民族区域自治为民族团结提供制度保障。1955年，新疆总人口511.78万人，2014年增长至2322.54万人，其中少数民族1463.04万人，占总人口的63%。自治区坚持开展形式多样的民族团结宣传教育，特别重视对青少年的教育，在小学至大学的各类学校教育中均设置民族团结及民族知识教育课程。坚持不懈地开展民族团结进步创建活动。自1983年开始，自治区先后召开了7次民族团结进步表彰大会，大力表彰民族团结进步模范单位和个人，在全社会推动形成以维护民族团结为荣、以损害民族团结为耻的社会风尚。目前，受到国务院、国家民委、自治区三级表彰的民族团结进步模范单位1304个(次)、模范个人2272人(次)。1983年开始，每年5月开展“民族团结教育月”活动，集中进行民族团结的宣传教育。2009年，自治区颁布实施《新疆维吾尔自治区民族团结教育条例》，进一步规范了民族团结教育活动，推动各族民众共同维护民族团结。2010年底，又出台了《新疆维吾尔自治区民族团结进步模范单位和模范个人创建表彰管理办法(试行)》，积极引导各族民众加强交往交流交融，相互帮助；提倡各民族中小学生同校学习，同班上课。“汉族离不开少数民族，少数民族离不开汉族，各少数民族之间也相互离不开”成为加强民族团结的重要思想保证。

　　近年来，随着经济社会的发展，新疆各民族人口流动更加频繁，少数民族人口城市化、散居化趋势明显，民族间交往交流不断密切。在共同工作、学习、娱乐，以及共同的社区生活中，不同民族成员增进了彼此的了解和友谊。

The ethnic regional autonomy provides an institutional guarantee to ethnic unity. The region's population totaled 5.1 million in 1955 while by 2014 it had increased to over 23.2 million, of which 14.6 million were ethnic minorities, making up 63 percent of the total. The region has carried out all kinds of educational programs advocating ethnic unity, paying particular attention to education of the youth, as evidenced by courses on ethnic unity and knowledge about the various ethnic groups offered in various institutions of learning - from primary schools to universities. In Xinjiang, unremitting efforts have also been made in holding activities promoting ethnic unity and progress. To advocate ethnic unity and counter acts undermining it, the autonomous region has since 1983 held seven meetings awarding those making outstanding contribution to ethnic unity and progress, and commending units and individuals who have excelled in this regard. To date, the State Council, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have commended 1,304 model units and 2,272 exemplary individuals. Since 1983, the region has held an "educational month of ethnic unity" each May, carrying out intensive and extensive public publicity on ethnic unity. In 2009, the region promulgated the Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Ethnic Unity Education, further regulating ethnic unity education activities in order to call people of all ethnic groups to safeguard ethnic unity. By the end of 2010, the region had enacted the Measures for the Administration of Commendation of Role Models Contributing to Ethnic Unity Activities (Trial). The region encourages all members of ethnic groups to strengthen contact, exchange, integration and mutual support mechanisms, and advocates that primary or secondary school students of all ethnic groups study in the same classes and schools. It has become an important ideological guarantee for ethnic unity that "the Han Chinese cannot live without the ethnic minorities, the ethnic minorities cannot do without the Han Chinese, and no any one minority group can live without the other minority groups."

Along with the region's economic and social development in recent years, increasing mobility has been witnessed in the population of different ethnic groups in Xinjiang. There has been a rising trend in the urbanization and scattered living of ethnic minorities (who used to live in remote rural areas in concentrated communities - ed.), and as such the contact and exchange among them have grown ever closer. In work, study and entertainment as well as shared community life, people of different ethnic origins have enhanced their friendship and mutual understanding.