List of ethnic groups in China
Multiple ethnic groups populate China, the area claimed by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China.
The Han people are the largest ethnic group in mainland China. In 2010, 91.51% of the population were classified as Han. Besides the Han Chinese majority, 55 other ethnic groups are categorized in present China, numbering approximately 105 million people, mostly concentrated in the bordering northwest, north, northeast, south and southwest but with some in central interior areas.
The major minority ethnic groups in China are Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uyghur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh and Dai. At least 126,000 people from Canada, the US and Europe are living in Mainland China. In addition, there are also unrecognized ethnic groups, for example: Chuanqing people, and others, who comprise over 730,000 people.
Ethnic groups recognized by the People's Republic of China
The following are the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.English Name | Standard Romanization | CodeA | Mandarin Pinyin | Simplified Chinese | 2010 National Shares | 2010 PopulationB | 2000 PopulationB | 1990 PopulationB | Year of recognitionC |
Han Chinese1 | Han | HA | Hàn Zú | :zh:汉族 | 91.6474% | 1,220,844,520 | 1,139,773,008 | 1,042,482,187 | 1954 |
Zhuang | Zhuang | ZH | Zhuàng Zú | :zh:壮族 | 1.2700% | 16,926,381 | 16,187,163 | 15,489,630 | 1954 |
Hui2 | Hui | HU | Huí Zú | :zh:回族 | 0.7943% | 10,586,087 | 9,828,126 | 8,602,978 | 1954 |
Manchu | Man | MA | Mǎn Zú | :zh:满族 | 0.7794% | 10,387,958 | 10,708,464 | 9,821,180 | 1954 |
Uyghur | Uygur | UG | Wéiwú'ěr Zú | :zh:维吾尔族 | 0.7555% | 10,069,346 | 8,405,416 | 7,214,431 | 1954 |
Miao 3 | Miao | MH | Miáo Zú | :zh:苗族 | 0.7072% | 9,426,007 | 8,945,538 | 7,398,035 | 1954 |
Yi | Yi | YI | Yí Zú | :zh:彝族 | 0.6538% | 8,714,393 | 7,765,858 | 6,572,173 | 1954 |
Tujia | Tujia | TJ | Tǔjiā Zú | :zh:土家族 | 0.6268% | 8,353,912 | 8,037,014 | 5,704,223 | 1964 |
Tibetan4 | Zang | ZA | Zàng Zú | :zh:藏族 | 0.4713% | 6,282,187 | 5,422,954 | 4,593,330 | 1954 |
Mongol | Mongol | MG | Měnggǔ Zú | :zh:中国蒙古族 | 0.4488% | 5,981,840 | 5,827,808 | 4,806,849 | 1954 |
Dong5 | Dong | DO | Dòng Zú | :zh:侗族 | 0.2161% | 2,879,974 | 2,962,911 | 2,514,014 | 1954 |
Bouyei | Bouyei | BY | Bùyī Zú | :zh:布依族 | 0.2153% | 2,870,034 | 2,973,217 | 2,545,059 | 1954 |
Yao | Yao | YA | Yáo Zú | :zh:瑶族 | 0.2098% | 2,796,003 | 2,638,878 | 2,134,013 | 1954 |
Bai | Bai | BA | Bái Zú | :zh:白族 | 0.1451% | 1,933,510 | 1,861,895 | 1,594,827 | 1954 |
Korean | Chosŏn | CS | Cháoxiǎn Zú | :zh:中国朝鲜族 | 0.1374% | 1,830,929 | 1,929,696 | 1,920,597 | 1954 |
Hani6 | Hani | HN | Hāní Zú | :zh:哈尼族 | 0.1246% | 1,660,932 | 1,440,029 | 1,253,952 | 1954 |
Li | Li | LI | Lí Zú | :zh:黎族 | 0.1098% | 1,463,064 | 1,248,022 | 1,110,900 | 1954 |
Kazakh | Kazak | KZ | Hāsàkè Zú | :zh:哈萨克族 | 0.1097% | 1,462,588 | 1,251,023 | 1,111,718 | 1954 |
Dai7 | Dai | DA | Dǎi Zú | :zh:傣族 | 0.0946% | 1,261,311 | 1,159,231 | 1,025,128 | 1954 |
She | She | SH | Shē Zú | :zh:畲族 | 0.0532% | 708,651 | 710,039 | 630,378 | 1964 |
Lisu | Lisu | LS | Lìsù Zú | :zh:傈僳族 | 0.0527% | 702,839 | 635,101 | 574,856 | 1954 |
Dongxiang | Dongxiang | DX | Dōngxiāng Zú | :zh:东乡族 | 0.0466% | 621,500 | 513,826 | 373,872 | 1954 |
Gelao | Gelao | GL | Gēlǎo Zú | :zh:仡佬族 | 0.0413% | 550,746 | 579,744 | 437,997 | 1964 |
Lahu | Lahu | LH | Lāhù Zú | :zh:拉祜族 | 0.0365% | 485,966 | 453,765 | 411,476 | 1954 |
Wa | Wa | WA | Wǎ Zú | :zh:佤族 | 0.0322% | 429,709 | 396,709 | 351,974 | 1954 |
Sui | Sui | SU | Shuǐ Zú | :zh:水族 | 0.0309% | 411,847 | 407,000 | 345,993 | 1954 |
Nakhi8 | Naxi | NX | Nàxī Zú | :zh:纳西族 | 0.0245% | 326,295 | 309,477 | 278,009 | 1954 |
Qiang | Qiang | QI | Qiāng Zú | :zh:羌族 | 0.0232% | 309,576 | 306,476 | 198,252 | 1954 |
Tu | Tu | TU | Tǔ Zú | :zh:土族 | 0.0217% | 289,565 | 241,593 | 191,624 | 1954 |
Mulao9 | Mulao | ML | Mùlǎo Zú | :zh:仫佬族 | 0.0162% | 216,257 | 207,464 | 159,328 | 1964 |
Xibe | Xibe | XB | Xībó Zú | :zh:锡伯族 | 0.0143% | 190,481 | 189,357 | 172,847 | 1954 |
Kyrgyz | Kirgiz | KG | Kē'ěrkèzī Zú | :zh:柯尔克孜族 | 0.0140% | 186,708 | 160,875 | 141,549 | 1954 |
Jingpo10 | Jingpo | JP | Jǐngpō Zú | :zh:景颇族 | 0.0111% | 147,828 | 132,158 | 119,209 | 1954 |
Daur | Daur | DU | Dáwò'ěr Zú | :zh:达斡尔族 | 0.0099% | 131,992 | 132,747 | 121,357 | 1964 |
Salar | Salar | SL | Sālā Zú | :zh:撒拉族 | 0.0098% | 130,607 | 104,521 | 87,697 | 1954 |
Blang | Blang | BL | Bùlǎng Zú | :zh:布朗族 | 0.0090% | 119,639 | 91,891 | 82,280 | 1964 |
Maonan11 | Maonan | MN | Máonán Zú | :zh:毛南族 | 0.0076% | 101,192 | 107,184 | 71,968 | 1964 |
Tajik12 | Tajik | TA | Tǎjíkè Zú | :zh:中国塔吉克族 | 0.0038% | 51,069 | 41,056 | 33,538 | 1954 |
Pumi | Pumi | PM | Pǔmǐ Zú | :zh:普米族 | 0.0032% | 42,861 | 33,628 | 29,657 | 1964 |
Achang | Achang | AC | Āchāng Zú | :zh:阿昌族 | 0.0030% | 39,555 | 33,954 | 27,708 | 1964 |
Nu | Nu | NU | Nù Zú | :zh:怒族 | 0.0028% | 37,523 | 28,770 | 27,123 | 1964 |
Evenki | Ewenki | EW | Èwēnkè Zú | :zh:鄂温克族 | 0.0023% | 30,875 | 30,545 | 26,315 | 1954 |
Gin13 | Gin | GI | Jīng Zú | :zh:京族 | 0.0021% | 28,199 | 22,584 | 18,915 | 1964 |
Jino | Jino | JN | Jīnuò Zú | :zh:基诺族 | 0.0017% | 23,143 | 20,899 | 18,021 | 1979 |
De'ang14 | Deang | DE | Dé'áng Zú | :zh:德昂族 | 0.0015% | 20,556 | 17,935 | 15,462 | 1964 |
Bonan | Bonan | BO | Bǎo'ān Zú | :zh:保安族 | 0.0015% | 20,074 | 16,505 | 12,212 | 1954 |
Russian | Russ | RS | Éluósī Zú | :zh:中国俄罗斯族 | 0.0012% | 15,393 | 15,631 | 13,504 | 1954 |
Yugur | Yugur | YG | Yùgù Zú | :zh:裕固族 | 0.0011% | 14,378 | 13,747 | 12,297 | 1954 |
Uzbek | Uzbek | UZ | Wūzībiékè Zú | :zh:乌孜别克族 | 0.0008% | 10,569 | 12,423 | 14,502 | 1954 |
Monba | Monba | MB | Ménbā Zú | :zh:门巴族 | 0.0008% | 10,561 | 8,928 | 7,475 | 1964 |
Oroqen | Oroqen | OR | Èlúnchūn Zú | :zh:鄂伦春族 | 0.0006% | 8,659 | 8,216 | 6,965 | 1954 |
Derung | Derung | DR | Dúlóng Zú | :zh:独龙族 | 0.0005% | 6,930 | 7,431 | 5,816 | 1964 |
Hezhen15 | Hezhen | HZ | Hèzhé Zú | :zh:赫哲族 | 0.0004% | 5,354 | 4,664 | 4,245 | 1964 |
Gaoshan16 | Gaoshan | GS | Gāoshān Zú | :zh:高山族 | 0.0003% | 4,009 | 4,488 | 2,909 | 1954 |
Lhoba | Lhoba | LB | Luòbā Zú | :zh:珞巴族 | 0.0003% | 3,682 | 2,970 | 2,312 | 1965 |
Tatars | Tatar | TT | Tǎtǎ'ěr Zú | :zh:塔塔尔族 | 0.0003% | 3,556 | 4,895 | 4,873 | 1954 |
Undistinguished | — | none | Wèi Shìbié Mínzú | :zh:中国未识别民族 | 0.0480% | 640,101 | 734,438 | 749,341 | — |
Naturalized Citizen | — | none | Wàiguórén Jiārù Zhōngguójí | 外国人加入中国籍 | 0.0001% | 1,448 | 941 | 3,421 | — |
AGB 3304-91 "Names of ethnicities of China in romanization with codes";
BThe population only includes mainland China and Taiwan;
CFor ethnic groups officially recognised in 1964 or earlier, this is the year of first inclusion in the national census, which were in 1954 and 1964;
1Also included are the Chuanqing;
2Also includes Utsuls of Hainan, descended from Cham refugees;
3A subset of which is also known as Hmong ;
4including Amdowa and Khampa, as well as roughly half of Pumi speakers, the remainder of whom are classified as a separate Pumi ethnicity;
5Also known as Kam;
6Also included are the Sangkong;
7This category includes several different Tai-speaking groups historically referred to as Bai-yi . Although that, the speakers of Bumang are also included in this Dai nationality. ;
8Also included are the Mosuo;
9Also included are the Qago ;
10Known as Kachin in Myanmar;
11Also included are the Then;
12Actually not Tajik people but Pamiri people;
13The same group as Vietnamese or Kinh people in Sino-Vietnamese;
14Known as Palaung in Myanmar;
15The same group as Nanai on the Russian side of the border;
16A collective name for all Taiwanese aborigine groups in Taiwan. In fact, the numbers of Gaoshan in census covers only those who lives in Mainland China and consists of Amis, Paiwan and Bunun peoples
Taiwanese aborigines
The People's Republic of China government officially refers to all Taiwanese Aborigines, as Gaoshan, whereas the Republic of China recognizes 16 groups of Taiwanese aborigines. The term Gaoshan has a different connotation in Taiwan than it does in mainland China. While several thousands of these aborigines have migrated to Fujian province in mainland China, most remain in Taiwan."Undistinguished" ethnic minority groups
This is a list of ethnic groups in China that are not officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China.- Äynu people
- Gejia
- Bajia
- Deng
- Hu
Ili Turki people
Sung or Song Chinese that is Southern Chinese
- Tankas including Fuzhou Tanka
- Tebbu people
- Tuvans
- Waxiang
- Jews
- Yamatos and Ryukyuans living as permanent residents in Taiwan and Northeast China
- Macanese, mixed race Catholic Portuguese speakers who lived in Macau since 16th century of various ethnic origins
- Utsuls, descendants of Cham Muslims who fled Vietnamese invasions of Champa
- Yakuts ''
- Teleuts
- Kalmyks