A general urban and rural social endowment insurance system has been set up in the Tibet autonomous region, according to the area's social security authority.

Cai Yitian, vice-director of the region's human resources and social security department, said at a news conference that 89 percent of rural residents, 27 percent of urban residents, as well as 80 percent of monks and nuns, had joined the urban residents social endowment insurance plan by the end of September.

Cai also said 95 percent of both rural and urban residents will be covered by social endowment insurance by the end of 2015.

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