【Objective】 To explore the status and characteristics of voluntary blood donors in rural areas of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (referred as Dali), and to provide basis for scientific and effective voluntary blood donation in rural population in regions inhabited by ethnic groups. 【Methods】 The data of rural blood donors who donated blood in Dali from 2010 to 2019 were collected, including demographic data as nationality, gender, age, educational background, as well as the blood donation frequency and blood infection screening (index) results. The above data of urban blood donors who donated blood in Dali during the same period were selected to investigate the increasing trend of blood donation rate. SPSS26.0 was used for statistical analysis of the collected data of rural and urban blood donation population. 【Results】 From 2010 to 2019,the number of blood donors in Dali increased from 13 949 to 19 479,with an increasing rate of 39.64%. The number of rural blood donors increased from 2 623 to 8 727,among which the number of ethnic minority groups increased from 1 779 to 5 059.The ratio of male to female blood donors was 70.30% (1 844/2 623) vs 29.70% (779/2 623) in 2010,56.37% (4 919/8 727) vs 43.63%(3 808/8 727) in 2019. Those with educational level of junior middle school or below were the most, accounted for 43.97%(38 443/85 836),with ethnic donors of 24.47%(23 583/85 836). The proportion of donors aged between 36 and 45 was the highest[40.73% (30 477/74 827) ], with ethnic donors of [28.56% (21 374/74 827), and the proportion of repeated blood donors was 54.87%(35 279/64 299),with ethnic donors of 49.89%(18 080/36 240) [the proportion of repeated blood donors in urban donors in the same period was 48.13% (55 677/115 675) ] (P<0.01). The unqualified rate of ALT was the highest [1.21%(1 272/105 489) ] [The unqualified rate in local donors was 1.99%(3 837/192 552) ] (P<0.01), and that of the ethnic donors was 1.51%(358/56 718). There was no significant difference in the unqualified rates of HB-sAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV and anti-TP among urban and rural blood donors (P>0.05). 【Conclusion】 It is of great significance to explore the characteristics of blood donors in rural areas (especially regions inhabited by ethnic groups) and the reasons for disqualification, in order to scientifically carry out the recruitment of voluntary blood donors and further promote blood donation for rural residents