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The population of Armenia includes various significant minority ethnic groups.
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| People |
| Languages |
| Mythology |
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The population of Armenia includes various significant minority ethnic groups.
According to last census, ethnic minorities in Armenia consist of less than 2% of the population. Various sources suggest different numbers[ citation needed ], and even some of the representatives of the ethnic minorities are not informed about exact numbers. However, migration waves from Armenia always included representatives of various ethnic minorities, and as their leaders suggest, migration will continue from Armenia despite considerable improvements in the economic and political situation in Armenia.
| Ethnic group | 1989 Soviet census [1] | 2001 Armenian census [2] | 2011 Armenian census [3] | 2022 Armenian census [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yazidis | 56,127 | 40,620 | 35,272 | 31,077 |
| Russians | 51,555 | 14,660 | 11,862 | 14,074 |
| Assyrians | 5,963 | 3,409 | 2,769 | 2,754 |
| Ukrainians | 8,341 | 1,633 | 1,176 | 1,005 |
| Greeks | 4,650 | 1,176 | 900 | 365 |
| Jews | 676 | 127 | N/A | |
| Persians | 14 | 326 [5] | N/A | 434 |
| Georgians | 1,364 | 974 | 223 | |
| Belorussians | 1,061 | 214 | N/A | |
| Azerbaijanis | 84,860 | 29 [5] | N/A | N/A |
| Poles | 124 | N/A | ||
| Germans | 33 | N/A | ||
| Kurds | 2,131 | 1,663 | ||
| Other | 1,658 | 4,889 | ||
| Unspecified | 100 | 550 | ||
| Total | 221,160 | 67,657 | 55,582 | 57,034 |
While Armenians formed a consistent majority, Azerbaijanis were the second largest population in the republic during Soviet rule (forming about 2.5% in 1989 [6] ). However, due to hostilities with neighboring Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh virtually all Azeris emigrated from Armenia. Conversely, Armenia received a large influx of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, thus giving Armenia a more homogeneous character. This forceful population exchange also affected the Christian Udi people of Azerbaijan, many of whom were perceived as Armenians due to close cultural ties between both peoples. [7] The number of Udis residing in Armenia has increased from 19 in 1989 [6] to about 200 by 2006. [7]
Additionally since independence, several other ethnic groups have emigrated especially Russians (who decreased from 51,555 persons in 1989 [6] to 14,660 in 2001 [2] ), Ukrainians (8,341 in 1989 [6] to 1,633 in 2001 [2] ), Armeno-Tat[ citation needed ], Greeks (4,650 in 1989 [6] to 1,176 in 2001 [2] ), and Belarusians (1,061 in 1989 [6] to 160 in 2001 [8] ). The numbers of Kurds, Armeno-Tats and Assyrians have remained consistent for the most part (though approximately 2,000 Assyrians have left Armenia between 1989 [6] and 2001 [2] ). Georgians have also historically been counted among the largest ethnic groups in modern Armenia, though it is likely that their numbers have dropped substantially since the 1989 Soviet census when they numbered 1,364 persons. [6]
Armenia is the only republic of the former Soviet Union that boasts a nearly-homogeneous population. It is also the second-most densely populated post-Soviet state after Moldova. Ethnic minorities include Russians, Assyrians, Ukrainians, Kurds, Greeks, Georgians, and Belarusians. Smaller communities of Vlachs, Mordvins, Ossetians, Udis and Armeno-Tats also exist. Minorites of Poles and Caucasus Germans are also present, though they are heavily Russified. [8]
| Ethnic group | 1831 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1873 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1886 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1897 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1922 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1926 [9] [a] [ better source needed ] | 1931 [9] [ better source needed ] | 1939 [10] [ better source needed ] | 1959 [11] [ better source needed ] | 1970 [12] [ better source needed ] | 1979 [13] [ better source needed ] | 1989 [6] [ better source needed ] | 2001 [2] [5] [ better source needed ] | 2011 [14] [ better source needed ] | 2022 [15] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenians | 110,671 | 329,266 | 430,865 | 510,855 | 671,279 | 743,571 | 883,348 | 1,061,997 | 1,551,610 | 2,208,327 | 2,724,975 | 3,083,616 | 3,145,354 | 2,961,514 | 2,875,697 |
| Azerbaijanis [b] | 50,274 | 132,125 | 160,963 | 240,323 | 77,767 | 77,655 | 105,838 | 130,896 | 107,748 | 148,189 | 160,841 | 84,860 | 29 | 0 | |
| Kurds | 34,749 | 44,005 | 33,006 | 60,064 | 61,447 | 20,481 | 25,627 | 37,486 | 50,822 | 56,127 | 1,519 | 2,131 | 1,663 | ||
| Yazidis | 802 | 46,675 [c] | 40,620 | 35,272 | 31,077 | ||||||||||
| Russians | 51,464 | 56,477 | 66,108 | 70,336 | 51,555 | 14,660 | 11,862 | 14,074 | |||||||
| Ukrainians | 5,496 | 5,593 | 8,390 | 8,900 | 8,341 | 1,633 | 1,176 | 1,005 | |||||||
| Assyrians | 3,280 | 4,326 | 5544 | 6,183 | 5,963 | 3,409 | 2,769 | 2,754 | |||||||
| Greeks | 4,181 | 4,976 | 5,690 | 5,653 | 4,650 | 1,176 | 900 | 365 | |||||||
| Georgians | 652 | 816 | 1,439 | 1,314 | 1,364 | 249 | 974 | 223 | |||||||
| Others | 3,891 | 5,875 | 10,700 | 8,235 | 8,300 | 4,362 | 2,256 | 5,873 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 161,747 | 496,140 | 635,833 | 797,853 | 782,052 | 881,290 | 1,050,633 | 1,282,338 | 1,763,048 | 2,491,873 | 3,037,259 | 3,304,776 | 3,213,011 | 3,018,854 | 2,932,731 |
The Azerbaijanis community in Armenia in the 20th century, represented a large number but have been virtually non-existent since 1988–1991. Most Azerbaijanis fled the country as a result of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. UNHCR estimates the current population of Azerbaijanis in Armenia to be somewhere between 30 and a few hundred persons, [16] with majority of them living in rural areas and being members of mixed couples (mostly mixed marriages), as well as elderly and sick. Most of them are also reported to have changed their names and maintain a low profile to avoid discrimination. [17] [18]
Yazids constitute largest ethnic minority in Armenia. [19] The Yazidis, are an officially registered ethnic religion who live in the west of Armenia and are adherents of Yazidism.
The Kurds in Armenia are an ethnic and religious minority in the country. [20]
Ethnic Russians are the second largest ethnic community in Armenia after the Yazidis, with their number at 14,600. Even in the days of the Soviet Union, the days of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, the country had the smallest percentage of Russians compared to the other 14 republics. Although some ethnic Russians left the country after independence, because of economic hardship and better opportunities, there is some flux of new ethnic Russians arriving for commercial considerations and also due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There are a number of Russian-language publications in the Republic, including the dailies "Golos Armenii", "Novoye Vremia" and "Respublika Armenia" and the weekly "Delovoi Expres".
The educational system also uses Russian in many domains.
Vestiges of different tribes of Spiritual Christians from Russia remain active in Armenia.
The first mass-immigration of Russians into Armenia occurred about 1840 when thousands of heterodox Spiritual Christians in central Russia and Novorossiya, and other non-Orthodox tribes were resettled in this newly conquered territory. "By ordering this migration in 1830, Nicholas I attempted at once to cleanse Russian Orthodoxy of heresies and to populate the newly annexed lands with ethnic Slavs who would shoulder the burden of imperial construction." [21] About 5000 of descendants remain in the country. [22]
The largest group today are a family of new religious movements that converted to the Dukh-i-zhiznik faiths which were imported from Los Angeles, California, USA, in the 1930s after delivery of a controversial religious text: Kniga solntse, dukh i zhin' (Book of the Sun, Spirit and Life). This 1928 book uniquely identifies them, and is placed on their altar table as a Third Testament next to their Russian Bible. About two-thirds of the book is instructions and rituals written by a presbyter prophet Maksim Rudomyotkin from the current village of Fioletovo while he was incarcerated at a monastery in the mid-1800s. [23] There are about 15 distinct congregations of Dukh-i-zhizniki in Armenia, at least five in Fioletovo, five in north Yerevan, and one each in Dilijan and Lermontovo. Dukh-i-zhizniki are descendants of converted Pryguny, Maksimisty, Sionisty, Noviy israeli, some Molokane, a few Armenians, Popovtsy, and other ecstatic religious tribes that resettled from Russia in the 1800s. Since perestroika at least 40 have migrated to join Dukh-i-zhizniki in America and Australia to enhance dying congregations with Russian-speakers.
The Molokans (Russian : Молока́не) were among the first to arrive and their label is commonly used by the non-Molokan tribes to hide their heretic (sectarian) faiths. Malakan is a common word indigenous to the Caucasus to label the intruding Russian settlers in the 1800s, no matter who they were, because the first to arrive in large numbers came from Molochna and it was an easy unique word to use. [23]
Subbotniki, the Saturday people, settled in Sevan where their grave-markers are characterized by Jewish symbols. [24]
Most of the sectarians from Russia were originally heterodox, rejected the Trinity as outlined by the Nicene Creed, disobeyed Orthodox fasts, military service, adhered to Old Testament kosherlike dietary laws and avoid do not eat pork, shellfish, or other unclean foods. They also refuse many accepted Christian practices, including water baptism. Approximately 5,000 heritage Russian sectarians live in Armenia in year 2000. Most encourage endogamy, even seeking mates in Russia and abroad.
Assyrians are a historic presence in Armenia from very ancient times. Assyrians are the third biggest minority in Armenia after the Yazidis and Russians. Their number is estimated at 5,000. There has been a higher rate of intermarriage between the Assyrians and the Armenians.
According to the 2001 census, there are 3,409 Assyrians living in Armenia, and Armenia is home to some of the last surviving Assyrian communities outside the middle east. There were 6,000 Assyrians in Armenia before the breakup of USSR, but because of Armenia's struggling economy, the population has been cut by half, as many have emigrated to Russian areas.[ citation needed ]
Assyrians are a Christian Semitic people, Aramaic speakers who are descendants of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians
The Greeks of Armenia are mainly descendants of Pontic Greeks, who originally lived along the shores of the Black Sea. Armenians and Greeks have co-existed for centuries.
Christian Tats (Armenian:hay-tater) are a distinct group of Tat-speaking Armenians that historically populated eastern parts of the South Caucasus.
The origin of the Ukrainians in Armenia goes back to the mid 19th century after the migration to Transcaucasia “the Cossacks from Minor Russia” to seal the Empire’s Southern borders. The migrants worked mostly in agriculture.
Jews in Armenia are ethnic / religious Jews living in Armenia. There are about 300–500 [25] Jews presently living in Armenia, mainly in the capital Yerevan. Although the contemporary relations between Israel and Armenia are normally good. The Jews have their religious leaders in Armenia headed by a Chief Rabbi and sociopolitical matters are run by the Jewish Council of Armenia.
Poles in Armenia are Armenian citizens who have Polish ancestry or Polish immigrants to Armenia. They make up the same population as Russians, Caucasus Germans, Italians, and Scandinavians. Some of them are born to one parent from Poland and one parent from Armenia and some of them have grandparents from Poland. They live in Amrakits, Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Yerevan. 33 of them live there. They have a school called European School in Armenia. They speak Armenian and some Polish.
The Udis (the self-name Udi, Uti) – are one of the most ancient native peoples of Caucasus as they are considered to be the descendants of the people of Caucasian Albania.
Udis reside in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Armenia. In Armenia, they number around 200.
The Udi language belongs to the Nakho-Dagestanian group of the Caucasian languages. There are two primary dialects named Nij and Vartashen. Azeri, Russian, Georgian languages are also spoken.
Most Udis belong to the Orthodox Church. Centuries of life in the sphere of Perso-Islamic culture made a relevant impact on the Udi culture and mentality. This trace is noticeable in Udi folk traditions and the material culture.
Most Udis speak Udi language that is a member of the Northeast Caucasian language family. Udi is related to Lezgian and Tabasaran.
It is believed this was the main language of Caucasian Albania, which stretched from south Dagestan to current day Azerbaijan. The language is spoken by about 5,000 people including in the villages of Debedavan, Bagratashen, Ptghavan, and Haghtanak in the Tavush province of Armenia and in the village of Zinobiani (Oktomberi) in the Kvareli district of the Kakheti province in Georgia.
Versions of Udi were written in Armenian alphabet and the Georgian alphabet.
List of organizations of the ethnic minorities of Armenia. [26]
| Union of ethnic minorities NGOs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Name | Ethnic minority |
| 1 | youth center "Ashur" | Assyrians |
| 2 | "Pontos" organization | Greeks |
| 3 | "Rosia" | Russians |
| 4 | "Slavonakan tun" ("Slavic home") | Belarusians |
| 5 | "Association of Ukrainians" | Ukrainians |
| 6 | "National Union of Yezidis of RA" | Yezidi |
| 7 | "Menora" cultural center | Jews |
| 8 | "organization Mordechai Navi" | Jews |
| Union of ethnic minorities NGOs | ||
| 1 | "Atur" union | Assyrians |
| 2 | "Polonia" union | Poles |
| 3 | "Harmonia" cultural center | Russians |
| 4 | "Oda" | Russians |
| 5 | "Oda luch" | Russians |
| 6 | "Belarus" | Belarusians |
| 7 | "Jewish Community of Armenia" | Jews |
| 8 | "Iveria" benevolent community | Georgians |
| 9 | Ukrainian Federation "Ukraina" | Ukrainians |
| 10 | National Union of Yezidis | Yezidi |
| 11 | "Kurdistan" committee | Kurds |
| 12 | "Birlik" Association of Armenia | Qazaqstani[ clarification needed ] |
After registering steady increases during the Soviet period, the population of Armenia declined from its peak value of 3.633 million in 1992 to 2.986 million in 2017.
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which are sometimes collectively known as the Caucasian States. The total area of these countries measures about 186,100 square kilometres. The South Caucasus and the North Caucasus together comprise the larger Caucasus geographical region that divides Eurasia.
The Tat people or Transcaucasian Persians are an Iranian people presently living within Azerbaijan and Russia. The Tats are part of the indigenous peoples of Iranian origin in the Caucasus.
Azerbaijanis, Azeris, or Azerbaijani Turks are a Turkic ethnic group living mainly in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are predominantly Shia Muslims. They comprise the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the second-largest ethnic group in neighboring Iran and Georgia. They speak the Azerbaijani language, belonging to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages.
Tat, also known as Caucasian Persian, Tat/Tati Persian, or Caucasian Tat, is a Southwestern Iranian language closely related to, but not fully mutually intelligible with Persian and spoken by the Tats in Azerbaijan and Russia.
The peoples of the Caucasus, or Caucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50 ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus.
Assyrians in Georgia number 3,299, and most arrived in the Southern Caucasus in early 20th century when their ancestors fled present-day Turkey and Iran during the Assyrian genocide.
Census in Armenia is a population census conducted in Armenia about every 10 years with the purpose of capturing exact data on demographics in the country.
Udis are a native people of the Caucasus that currently live mainly in Russia and Azerbaijan, with smaller populations in Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and other countries. Their total number is about 10,000 people. They speak the Udi language, which belongs to the Northeast Caucasian language family. Some also speak Azerbaijani, Russian, Georgian, or Armenian, depending on where they reside. Their religion is Christianity.
Assyrians in Armenia make up the country's third largest ethnic minority, after Yazidis and Russians. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,769 Assyrians living in Armenia, and Armenia is home to some of the last surviving Assyrian communities in the Caucasus. There were 6,000 Assyrians in Armenia before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but because of Armenia's struggling economy during the 1990s, the population has been cut by half, as many have emigrated.
The Greeks in Armenia, like the other groups of Caucasus Greeks such as the Greeks in Georgia, are mainly descendants of the Pontic Greeks, who originally lived along the shores of the Black Sea, in the uplands of the Pontic Alps, and other parts of northeastern Anatolia. In their original homelands these Greek communities are called Pontic Greeks and Eastern Anatolia Greeks respectively. Seafaring Ionian Greeks settled around the southern shores of the Black Sea starting around 800 BC, later expanding to coastal regions of modern Romania, Russia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. The Pontic Greeks lived for thousands of years almost isolated from the Greek peninsula, retaining elements of the Ancient Greek language and making Pontic Greek unintelligible to most other modern Hellenic languages. They were joined in the region by later waves of Greeks in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine period, ranging from traders, scholars, churchmen, mercenaries, or refugees from elsewhere in Anatolia or the southern Balkans.
Armenia is located in the Caucasus region of south-eastern Europe. Armenian is the official language in Armenia and is spoken as a first language by the majority of its population. Armenian is a pluricentric language with two modern standardized forms: Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian. Armenia's constitution does not specify the linguistic standard. In practice, the Eastern Armenian language dominates government, business, and everyday life in Armenia.
Azerbaijanis in Armenia numbered 29 people according to the 2001 census of Armenia. Although they have previously been the biggest minority in the country according to 1831–1989 censuses, they are virtually non-existent since 1988–1991 when most fled or were forced out of the country as a result of the tensions of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War to neighboring Azerbaijan. The UNHCR estimates that the current population of Azerbaijanis in Armenia to be somewhere between 30 and a few hundred people, with most of them living in rural areas as members of mixed couples, as well as elderly or sick. Most of them are reported to have changed their names to maintain a low profile to avoid discrimination.
The main ethnic minorities in Georgia are Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Kists, Assyrians and Yazidi.
Russians are the second-largest ethnic minority in Azerbaijan, and the country is home to the largest Russian community in the South Caucasus and one of the largest outside of Russia. Although in decline, the community still numbers 71,000 people as of 2019. Since their arrival at the beginning of the 19th century, the Russians have played an important role in all spheres of life, particularly during the Czarist and Soviet period, especially in the capital city of Baku.
Armeno-Tats are a distinct group of Christian Tat-speaking Armenians that historically populated eastern parts of the South Caucasus, in what constitutes the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan. Most scholars researching the Tat language, such as Boris Miller and Igrar Aliyev, agree that Armeno-Tats are ethnic Armenians who underwent a language shift and adopted Tat as their first language. This is explained on one hand by the self-identification of Armeno-Tats who stated during Miller's research that they consider themselves Armenian as well as by some linguistic features of their dialect. The Armeno-Tats formerly lived in Madrasa and Kilvar in Azerbaijan, but have almost entirely moved to Armenia and Russia.
Moscow is the most populous city in Europe and Russia, population of which is mostly made up of ethnic Russians, but it also hosts a significant population of ethnic minorities. The last census of 2021 reported 69.7% of the population was Russian.
The Kurds in Ukraine form a part of the historically significant Kurdish population in the post-Soviet space, and are located mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country. They descend from migrants and refugees from the Caucasus and have had a presence in Ukraine since the early 20th century.
Armenians have had a longstanding historical presence in the Shamakhi District. From the 16th century up until the 18th century, Armenians formed the majority population of the capital, Shamakhi. Armenians retained a significant presence in the Shamakhi district until the First Nagorno-Karabakh war, which resulted in the forced displacement of the remaining unassimilated Shamakhi Armenians to Armenia.
Molokans, a Spiritual Christian group originating in Russia, have had a presence in Armenia since the 19th century. Tsarist authorities began resettling Russian sectarians to the Caucasus in 1802, and by the mid 19th century there was a significant Molokan presence in Armenia. They founded numerous villages in the Lori region, and supported the establishment of the Soviet Union in the revolutionary period. In the 20th century during collectivization, many Molokans migrated to cities. As of 2022, there are 2,000 Molokans in Armenia.
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