According to the archaeological evidence, mankind started multiplying in Dehong region as early as 3000 to 5000 years ago. The recorded "Puren", "Puziman ", "Bulei" are the ancestors of De'ang people today; "Dianyue," "Jinchi," "Dan", and "Baiyi" are of the early Dais. Between the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Jingpo, Lisu and Han nationalities and other minorities have moved here for the cultivating and the guarding of the frontier areas due to the war and other factors. Before 1950, plague, war, drugs and other hazards caused the people of all nationalities to be in the "high birthrate, high mortality, and low development" status.

　　According to government sampling estimates in 1950, Dehong prefecture had about 65,000 families in 1949, and the total population was about 300,000. Since then, however, there has been an uncontrolled population growth because medical conditions have been much improved, people’s standards of living have increased, the country has become prosperous and the people have lived in peace. In 1978, Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture had 127,200 families and the total population rose to 693,900. When the family planning policy was implemented in 1979, the rapid population explosion was under control. To the mid-1980s, population development has been incorporated into a planed normal track.

　　By the end of 2005, Dehong had 257,900 families, 1,070,000 people. The population density was 92.64 per sq km, birth rate 12.96‰, death rate 5.15 ‰, natural population growth rate 7.81‰. Out of the total population, the agricultural population of 859,200 accounted for 80.46%; minority population 552,500, accounting for 51.74%. In the main local minority population: Dai 340,300, accounting for 31.87%; Jingpo 130,500, accounting for 12.22%; Achang 28,400, accounting for 2.66%; Lisu 26,200, accounting for 2.45%; De'ang 13,200, accounting for 1.24%. (Translated by Zhu Qisai)