List of ethnic groups in China

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Ethnolinguistic map of China Ethnolinguistic map of China 1983.png
Ethnolinguistic map of China
China's Autonomous Regions and its Designated Ethnic Minority Zhong Guo Ge Zi Zhi Di Qu Ji Qi Zhi Ding De Shao Shu Min Zu China's Autonomous Regions and its Designated Ethnic Minority.png
China's Autonomous Regions and its Designated Ethnic Minority

The Han people are the largest ethnic group in mainland China. In 2010, 91.51% of the population were classified as Han (~1.2 billion). [1] Besides the Han Chinese majority, 55 other ethnic (minority) groups are categorized in present-day China, numbering approximately 105 million people (8%), mostly concentrated in the bordering northwest, north, northeast, south and southwest but with some in central interior areas.

Contents

The major ethnic minorities in China are the Zhuang (19.6 million), Hui (11.4 million), Uyghurs (11 million), Miao (11 million), Manchus (10.4 million), Yi (9.8 million), Tujia (9.6 million), Tibetans (7 million), Mongols (6.3 million), Buyei (3.5 million), Dong (3.5 million), Yao (3.3 million), Bai (2 million), Koreans (1.7 million), Hani (1.7 million), Li (1.6 million), Kazakhs (1.5 million), and Dai (1.2 million). [2] At least 126,000 people from Canada, the United States, and Europe are living in mainland China. [3] In addition, there are a number of unrecognized ethnic groups which together comprise over 730,000 people.

Officially recognized groups

Officially recognized ethnic groups receive or have received certain benefits over Han Chinese under the regional ethnic autonomy system, including affirmative action, exemptions from the one-child policy, designated seats in political organs and government support to preserve their culture. Ethnic minority autonomous areas receive additional state subsidies. [4] [5] Languages of officially recognized minorities are used in official government documents. [6]

Soon after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, 39 ethnic groups were recognized by the first national census in 1954. This further increased to 54 by the second national census in 1964, with the Lhoba group added in 1965. The last change was the addition of the Jino people in 1979, bringing the number of recognized ethnic groups to the current 56. The following are the 56 ethnic groups (listed by population) officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. [7]

English NameStandard RomanizationCode [lower-alpha 1] Simplified ChineseMandarin Pinyin2020 National Shares 2020 Population [lower-alpha 2] 2010 Population [lower-alpha 2] 2000 Population [lower-alpha 2] 1990 Population [lower-alpha 2] Year of recognition [lower-alpha 3]
Han [lower-alpha 4] HanHA 汉族 Hànzú91.1098%1,284,446,3891,220,844,5201,139,773,0081,042,482,1871954
Zhuang ZhuangZH 壮族 Zhuàngzú1.3801%19,568,54616,926,38116,187,16315,489,6301954
Uyghur UygurUG 维吾尔族 Wéiwú'ěrzú0.8352%11,774,53810,069,3468,405,4167,214,4311954
Hui [lower-alpha 5] HuiHU 回族 Huízú0.8070%11,377,91410,586,0879,828,1268,602,9781954
Miao [lower-alpha 6] MiaoMH 苗族 Miáozú0.7851%11,067,9299,426,0078,945,5387,398,0351954
Manchu ManMA 满族 Mǎnzú0.7394%10,423,30310,387,95810,708,4649,821,1801954
Yi YiYI 彝族 Yízú0.6973%9,830,3278,714,3937,765,8586,572,1731954
Tujia TujiaTJ 土家族 Tǔjiāzú0.6801%9,587,7328,353,9128,037,0145,704,2231964
Tibetan [lower-alpha 7] ZangZA 藏族 Zàngzú0.5008%7,060,7316,282,1875,422,9544,593,3301954
Mongol MongolMG 蒙古族 Měnggǔzú0.4461%6,290,2045,981,8405,827,8084,806,8491954
Bouyei BouyeiBY 布依族 Bùyīzú0.2537%3,576,7522,870,0342,973,2172,545,0591954
Dong [lower-alpha 8] DongDO 侗族 Dòngzú0.2480%3,495,9932,879,9742,962,9112,514,0141954
Yao YaoYA 瑶族 Yáozú0.2347%3,309,3412,796,0032,638,8782,134,0131954
Bai BaiBA 白族 Báizú0.1484%2,091,5431,933,5101,861,8951,594,8271954
Hani [lower-alpha 9] HaniHN 哈尼族 Hānízú0.1229%1,733,1661,660,9321,440,0291,253,9521954
Korean ChosŏnCS 朝鲜族 Cháoxiǎnzú0.1207%1,702,4791,830,9291,929,6961,920,5971954
Li LiLI 黎族 Lízú0.1136%1,602,1041,463,0641,248,0221,110,9001954
Kazakh KazakKZ 哈萨克族 Hāsàkèzú0.1108%1,562,5181,462,5881,248,0221,110,9001954
Dai [lower-alpha 10] DaiDA 傣族 Dǎizú0.0943%1,329,9851,261,3111,159,2311,025,1281954
Lisu LisuLS 傈僳族 Lìsùzú0.0541%762,296702,839635,101574,8561954
She SheSH 畲族 Shēzú0.0529%746,385708,651710,039630,3781964
Dongxiang DongxiangDX 东乡族 Dōngxiāngzú0.0550%774,947621,500513,826373,8721954
Gelao GelaoGL 仡佬族 Gēlǎozú0.0481%677,521550,746579,744437,9971964
Lahu LahuLH 拉祜族 Lāhùzú0.0354%499,167485,966453,765411,4761954
Sui SuiSU 水族 Shuǐzú0.0352%495,928411,847407,000345,9931954
Wa WaWA 佤族 Wǎzú0.0306%430,997429,709396,709351,9741954
Nakhi [lower-alpha 11] NaxiNX 纳西族 Nàxīzú0.0230%323,767326,295309,477278,0091954
Qiang QiangQI 羌族 Qiāngzú0.0222%312,981309,576306,476198,2521954
Tu TuTU 土族 Tǔzú0.0200%281,928289,565241,593191,6241954
Mulao [lower-alpha 12] MulaoML 仫佬族 Mùlǎozú0.0197%277,233216,257207,464159,3281964
Kyrgyz KirgizKG 柯尔克孜族 Kē'ěrkèzīzú0.0145%204,402186,708160,875141,5491954
Xibe XibeXB 锡伯族 Xībózú0.0136%191,911190,481189,357172,8471954
Salar SalarSL 撒拉族 Sālāzú0.0117%165,159130,607104,52187,6971954
Jingpo [lower-alpha 13] JingpoJP 景颇族 Jǐngpōzú0.0114%160,471147,828132,158119,2091954
Daur DaurDU 达斡尔族 Dáwò'ěrzú0.0094%132,299131,992132,747121,3571964
Blang BlangBL 布朗族 Bùlǎngzú0.0090%127,345119,63991,89182,2801964
Maonan [lower-alpha 14] MaonanMN 毛南族 Máonánzú0.0088%124,092101,192107,18471,9681964
Tajik [lower-alpha 15] TajikTA 塔吉克族 Tǎjíkèzú0.0036%50,89651,06941,05633,5381954
Pumi PumiPM 普米族 Pǔmǐzú0.0032%45,01242,86133,62829,6571964
Achang AchangAC 阿昌族 Āchāngzú0.0031%43,77539,55533,95427,7081964
Nu NuNU 怒族 Nùzú0.0026%36,57537,52328,77027,1231964
Evenki EwenkiEW 鄂温克族 Èwēnkèzú0.0025%34,61730,87530,54526,3151954
Vietnamese [lower-alpha 16] GinGI 京族 Jīngzú0.0024%33,11228,19922,58418,9151964
Jino JinoJN 基诺族 Jīnuòzú0.0018%26,02523,14320,89918,0211979
Bonan BonanBO 保安族 Bǎo'ānzú0.0017%24,43420,07416,50512,2121954
De'ang [lower-alpha 17] DeangDE 德昂族 Dé'ángzú0.0016%22,35420,55617,93515,4621964
Russian RussRS 俄罗斯族 Éluósīzú0.0011%16,13615,39315,63113,5041954
Yugur YugurYG 裕固族 Yùgùzú0.0010%14,70614,37813,74712,2971954
Uzbek UzbekUZ 乌孜别克族 Wūzībiékèzú0.0009%12,74210,56912,42314,5021954
Monba MonbaMB 门巴族 Ménbāzú0.0008%11,14310,5618,9287,4751964
Oroqen OroqenOR 鄂伦春族 Èlúnchūnzú0.0007%9,1688,6598,2166,9651954
Derung DerungDR 独龙族 Dúlóngzú0.0005%7,3106,9307,4315,8161964
Hezhen [lower-alpha 18] HezhenHZ 赫哲族 Hèzhézú0.0004%5,3735,3544,6644,2451964
Lhoba LhobaLB 珞巴族 Luòbāzú0.0003%4,2373,6822,9702,3121965
Tatars TatarTT 塔塔尔族 Tǎtǎ'ěrzú0.0003%3,5443,5564,8954,8731954
Gaoshan [lower-alpha 19] GaoshanGS 高山族 Gāoshānzú0.0002%3,4794,0094,4882,9091954
Undistinguished —none 未识别民族 Wèi Shìbié Mínzú0.0593%836,488640,101734,438749,341—
Naturalized Citizen —none外国人加入中国籍Wàiguórén Jiārù Zhōngguójí0.0012%16,5951,4489413,421—
  1. ↑ GB 3304－91 "Names of ethnicities of China in romanization with codes". [8]
  2. 1 2 3 4 The population only includes mainland China.
  3. ↑ For ethnic groups officially recognised in 1964 or earlier, this is the year of first inclusion in the national census, which were in 1954 [9] and 1964. [10]
  4. ↑ Also included are the Chuanqing.
  5. ↑ Also includes Utsuls of Hainan, descended from Cham refugees.
  6. ↑ One subset of which is also known as Hmong and other include Hmu, Xong and A-Hmao. Some of the related languages and groups of peoples are not necessarily classified under the Miao umbrella, which makes this term somewhat vague.
  7. ↑ Including Amdowa and Khampa, as well as roughly half of Pumi speakers, the remainder of whom are classified as a separate Pumi ethnicity.
  8. ↑ Also known as Kam.
  9. ↑ Also included are the Sangkong.
  10. ↑ This category includes several different Tai-speaking groups historically referred to as Bai-yi. In fact, the Dai nationality consists of speakers of varieties of Shan languages. For instance, the Tai Lue and Tai Nuea peoples are actually subgroups of the Shan people. Despite this, speakers of Bumang are also included in the Dai nationality.
  11. ↑ Also included are the Mosuo.
  12. ↑ Also included are the Qago ( 木佬人 ).
  13. ↑ Known as Kachin in Myanmar.
  14. ↑ Also included are the Then.
  15. ↑ They are not Tajik people but Pamiri people.
  16. ↑ The same group as Vietnamese or Kinh people in Sino-Vietnamese.
  17. ↑ Known as Palaung in Myanmar.
  18. ↑ The same group as Nanai on the Russian side of the border.
  19. ↑ A 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 (mainly in Fujian) and consists of Amis (autonym: Pangcah), Paiwan and Bunun peoples.[ citation needed ]

Taiwanese aborigines

The People's Republic of China government officially refers to all Taiwanese aborigines (Chinese : 原住民族 ; pinyin :Yuánzhùmínzú) as Gaoshan (Chinese : 高山族 ; pinyin :Gāoshānzú), whereas the Republic of China (Taiwan) recognizes 16 groups of Taiwanese aborigines. [11] The term Gaoshan has a different connotation in Taiwan than it does in mainland China.[ clarification needed ]

Unlisted ethnic groups

Part of a poster in Beijing showing the 56 ethnic groups of China Beijing-Niujie-Minzu-Tuanjie-Da-Jiating-3666.jpg
Part of a poster in Beijing showing the 56 ethnic groups of China

The following ethnic groups living in China are not recognized by the Chinese government:

During the Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China held in 2000, 734,438 people on the mainland were recorded as belonging to "undistinguished ethnic groups"—of these, 97% resided in Guizhou, . [14]

Hong Kong and Macau

Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions within China. The governments of Hong Kong and Macau do not use the official PRC ethnic classification system, nor does the PRC's official classification system take ethnic groups in Hong Kong and Macau into account. Minority groups such as Western Europeans (mainly English and Portuguese), and Southern or Southeastern Asians (mainly Filipinos, Indians, Indonesians, Nepalese, and Pakistanis) live in Hong Kong. [15] Macau's main ethnic groups are of Chinese and Portuguese descent, but other ethnicities also live in the territory. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Chinese may refer to:

Ethnic minorities in China are the non-Han population in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dai people</span> Ethnic group of Asia

The Dai people are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province. The Dai people form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. By extension, the term can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Yai, Lue, Chinese Shan, Tai Dam, Tai Khao or even Tai in general. For other names, see the table below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of China</span>

There are several hundred languages in China. The predominant language is Standard Chinese, which is based on Beijingese, but there are hundreds of related Chinese languages, collectively known as Hanyu, that are spoken by 92% of the population. The Chinese languages are typically divided into seven major language groups, and their study is a distinct academic discipline. They differ as much from each other morphologically and phonetically as do English, German and Danish, but meanwhile share the same writing system (Hanzi) and are mutually intelligible in written form. There are in addition approximately 300 minority languages spoken by the remaining 8% of the population of China. The ones with greatest state support are Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and Zhuang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gelao people</span> Ethnic group in China and Vietnam

The Gelao people are an ethnic group of China and Vietnam. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. However, many Gelao are also variously classified as Yi, Miao, and Zhuang by the Chinese government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese people</span> Ethnic groups

The Chinese people, or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation.

The Han Chinese people can be defined into subgroups based on linguistic, cultural, ethnic, genetic, and regional features. The terminology used in Mandarin to describe the groups is: "minxi", used in mainland China or "zuqun", used in Taiwan. No Han subgroup is recognized as one of People's Republic of China's 56 official ethnic groups, in Taiwan only three subgroups, Hoklo, Hakka and Waishengren are recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture</span> Autonomous prefecture in Yunnan, Peoples Republic of China

Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southeastern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, and is the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province. It borders Baise, Guangxi, to the east, Vietnam's Hà Giang Province to the south for 438 kilometres (272 mi), Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture to the west, and Qujing to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese nationality law</span>

Chinese nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds nationality of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The primary law governing these requirements is the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, which came into force on September 10, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autonomous prefecture</span> Peoples Republic of China prefecture-level subdivision

Autonomous prefectures are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. Autonomous prefectures are mostly majority Han Chinese by population. The official name of an autonomous prefecture includes the most significant minority in that region, sometimes two, rarely three. For example, a Kazakh prefecture may be called Kazak Zizhizhou. Like all other prefectural level divisions, autonomous prefectures are divided into county level divisions. There is one exception: Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture contains two prefectures of its own. Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, autonomous prefectures cannot be abolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan</span>

The Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China is the document for the bearer to enter into and/or depart from the Taiwan Area, namely Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. Currently, there are several types of Exit & Entry Permit that reflect the bearer's residency status. The permit is issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan). For different purposes, the permit is also known as:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin people</span> Ethnic group in southeast China

The Gin, or Jing people, are a community of descendants of ethnic Vietnamese people living in China. They mainly live in an area called the Jing Islands (京族三岛), off the coast of Dongxing, Fangchenggang, in the Chinese autonomous region of Guangxi. These territories were administered by the Nguyễn dynasty but were later ceded by the French to the Qing dynasty due to the 1887 convention, after the Sino-French war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County</span> Autonomous county in Guangxi, China

Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County is an autonomous county, under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Baise, in the west of Guangxi, China, bordering Guizhou Province to the north. As of 2019, the county's population was 437,907 people.

Hongkongers, Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizens and Hong Kong people are demonyms that refer to a resident of Hong Kong, although they may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the territory.

<i>Zhonghua minzu</i> Political term in modern Chinese nationalism

Zhonghua minzu is a political term in modern Chinese nationalism related to the concepts of nation-building, ethnicity, and race in the Chinese nationality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Chinese census</span> 2010 census of the population of China

The 2010 Chinese census, officially the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国第六次全国人口普查), was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China with a zero hour of November 1, 2010.

The 2000 Chinese census, officially the Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China, was conducted by the government of the People's Republic of China with 1 November 2000 as its zero hour. The total population was calculated as 1,295,330,000. The census also covered population growth, number of households, sex, age, ethnicity, educational attainment, and urban and rural population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secession in China</span>

Secession in China refers to several secessionist movements in the People's Republic of China. Many current separatist movements in China arise from the country's ethnic issues. Some of the factors that have created these ethnic issues include history, nationalism, economic and political disparity, religion, and other factors. China has historically had tensions between the majority Han and other minority ethnic groups, particularly in rural and border regions. Historically, other ruling ethnicities, such as the Manchu of the early-Qing dynasty, experienced ethnic issues as well.

Local ethnic nationalism, simply local nationalism or local ethnic chauvinism refers to the tendency of minority nationalities to secede from China.

References

  1. ↑ "Han Chinese proportion in China's population drops: census data". Xinhua News (English). 28 April 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "index". www.stats.gov.cn.
  3. ↑ "Expats in China: Nationalities and in which cities they settle".
  4. ↑ Jarmuth, Anna (2020-09-22). "Ethnic Minorities and the Fight against Poverty in China: The Case of Yunnan". Institute for Security and Development Policy. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  5. ↑ Lai, Hongyi. "China's Ethnic Policies and Challenges" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "White Paper 1999: Ethnic Minorities Policy in China". un.china-mission.gov.cn. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  7. ↑ 胡鸿保; 张丽梅 (2009). 民族识别原则的变化与民族人口[Changes in Ethnic Identification Principles and Ethnic Population]. Southwest University for Nationalities University Press (in Chinese) (4).
  8. ↑ GB 3304－91 Names of nationalities of China in romanization with codes Archived 2009-11-01 at the Wayback Machine .
  9. ↑ First National Population Census of the People's Republic of China
  10. ↑ Second National Population Census of the People's Republic of China
  11. ↑ "Gov't officially recognizes two more aboriginal people groups". China Post. CNA. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  12. ↑ Olson, James S. (1998). "Altai". An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. pp. 9–11. ISBN   0-313-28853-4.
  13. ↑ Mongush, M. V. (1996). "Tuvans of Mongolia and China". International Journal of Central Asian Studies (1): 225–243.
  14. ↑ 第五次人口普查数据(2000年). 表1—6. 省、自治区、直辖市分性别、民族的人口 ( Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (2000). Table 1-6: Population of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities by ethnicity). (in Chinese)
  15. ↑ Paul O'Connor (2018). "Ethnic Minorities and Ethnicity in Hong Kong". Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Hong Kong. Routledge. pp. 59–274. ISBN   9780367580605.
  16. ↑ João de Pina Cabral. "THE 'ETHNIC' COMPOSITION OF MACAO". Cultural Bureau of Macau. Retrieved 2023-11-29.

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