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 Shares2010 PopulationB
2000 PopulationB
1990 PopulationB
Year of recognitionC
Han Chinese1HanHAHàn Zú:zh:汉族91.6474%1,220,844,5201,139,773,0081,042,482,1871954
ZhuangZhuangZHZhuàng Zú:zh:壮族1.2700%16,926,38116,187,16315,489,6301954
Hui2HuiHUHuí Zú:zh:回族0.7943%10,586,0879,828,1268,602,9781954
ManchuManMAMǎn Zú:zh:满族0.7794%10,387,95810,708,4649,821,1801954
UyghurUygurUGWéiwú'ěr Zú:zh:维吾尔族0.7555%10,069,3468,405,4167,214,4311954
Miao 3MiaoMHMiáo Zú:zh:苗族0.7072%9,426,0078,945,5387,398,0351954
YiYiYIYí Zú:zh:彝族0.6538%8,714,3937,765,8586,572,1731954
TujiaTujiaTJTǔjiā Zú:zh:土家族0.6268%8,353,9128,037,0145,704,2231964
Tibetan4ZangZAZàng Zú:zh:藏族0.4713%6,282,1875,422,9544,593,3301954
MongolMongolMGMěnggǔ Zú:zh:中国蒙古族0.4488%5,981,8405,827,8084,806,8491954
Dong5DongDODòng Zú:zh:侗族0.2161%2,879,9742,962,9112,514,0141954
BouyeiBouyeiBYBùyī Zú:zh:布依族0.2153%2,870,0342,973,2172,545,0591954
YaoYaoYAYáo Zú:zh:瑶族0.2098%2,796,0032,638,8782,134,0131954
BaiBaiBABái Zú:zh:白族0.1451%1,933,5101,861,8951,594,8271954
KoreanChosŏnCSCháoxiǎn Zú:zh:中国朝鲜族0.1374%1,830,9291,929,6961,920,5971954
Hani6HaniHNHāní Zú:zh:哈尼族0.1246%1,660,9321,440,0291,253,9521954
LiLiLILí Zú:zh:黎族0.1098%1,463,0641,248,0221,110,9001954
KazakhKazakKZHāsàkè Zú:zh:哈萨克族0.1097%1,462,5881,251,0231,111,7181954
Dai7DaiDADǎi Zú:zh:傣族0.0946%1,261,3111,159,2311,025,1281954
SheSheSHShē Zú:zh:畲族0.0532%708,651710,039630,3781964
LisuLisuLSLìsù Zú:zh:傈僳族0.0527%702,839635,101574,8561954
DongxiangDongxiangDXDōngxiāng Zú:zh:东乡族0.0466%621,500513,826373,8721954
GelaoGelaoGLGēlǎo Zú:zh:仡佬族0.0413%550,746579,744437,9971964
LahuLahuLHLāhù Zú:zh:拉祜族0.0365%485,966453,765411,4761954
WaWaWAWǎ Zú:zh:佤族0.0322%429,709396,709351,9741954
SuiSuiSUShuǐ Zú:zh:水族0.0309%411,847407,000345,9931954
Nakhi8NaxiNXNàxī Zú:zh:纳西族0.0245%326,295309,477278,0091954
QiangQiangQIQiāng Zú:zh:羌族0.0232%309,576306,476198,2521954
TuTuTUTǔ Zú:zh:土族0.0217%289,565241,593191,6241954
Mulao9MulaoMLMùlǎo Zú:zh:仫佬族0.0162%216,257207,464159,3281964
XibeXibeXBXībó Zú:zh:锡伯族0.0143%190,481189,357172,8471954
KyrgyzKirgizKGKē'ěrkèzī Zú:zh:柯尔克孜族0.0140%186,708160,875141,5491954
Jingpo10JingpoJPJǐngpō Zú:zh:景颇族0.0111%147,828132,158119,2091954
DaurDaurDUDáwò'ěr Zú:zh:达斡尔族0.0099%131,992132,747121,3571964
SalarSalarSLSālā Zú:zh:撒拉族0.0098%130,607104,52187,6971954
BlangBlangBLBùlǎng Zú:zh:布朗族0.0090%119,63991,89182,2801964
Maonan11MaonanMNMáonán Zú:zh:毛南族0.0076%101,192107,18471,9681964
Tajik12TajikTATǎjíkè Zú:zh:中国塔吉克族0.0038%51,06941,05633,5381954
PumiPumiPMPǔmǐ Zú:zh:普米族0.0032%42,86133,62829,6571964
AchangAchangACĀchāng Zú:zh:阿昌族0.0030%39,55533,95427,7081964
NuNuNUNù Zú:zh:怒族0.0028%37,52328,77027,1231964
EvenkiEwenkiEWÈwēnkè Zú:zh:鄂温克族0.0023%30,87530,54526,3151954
Gin13GinGIJīng Zú:zh:京族0.0021%28,19922,58418,9151964
JinoJinoJNJīnuò Zú:zh:基诺族0.0017%23,14320,89918,0211979
De'ang14DeangDEDé'áng Zú:zh:德昂族0.0015%20,55617,93515,4621964
BonanBonanBOBǎo'ān Zú:zh:保安族0.0015%20,07416,50512,2121954
RussianRussRSÉluósī Zú:zh:中国俄罗斯族0.0012%15,39315,63113,5041954
YugurYugurYGYùgù Zú:zh:裕固族0.0011%14,37813,74712,2971954
UzbekUzbekUZWūzībiékè Zú:zh:乌孜别克族0.0008%10,56912,42314,5021954
MonbaMonbaMBMénbā Zú:zh:门巴族0.0008%10,5618,9287,4751964
OroqenOroqenORÈlúnchūn Zú:zh:鄂伦春族0.0006%8,6598,2166,9651954
DerungDerungDRDúlóng Zú:zh:独龙族0.0005%6,9307,4315,8161964
Hezhen15HezhenHZHèzhé Zú:zh:赫哲族0.0004%5,3544,6644,2451964
Gaoshan16GaoshanGSGāoshān Zú:zh:高山族0.0003%4,0094,4882,9091954
LhobaLhobaLBLuòbā Zú:zh:珞巴族0.0003%3,6822,9702,3121965
TatarsTatarTTTǎtǎ'ěr Zú:zh:塔塔尔族0.0003%3,5564,8954,8731954
UndistinguishednoneWèi Shìbié Mínzú:zh:中国未识别民族0.0480%640,101734,438749,341
Naturalized CitizennoneWàiguórén Jiārù Zhōngguójí外国人加入中国籍0.0001%1,4489413,421

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.
Japanese
Ili Turki people
Sung or Song Chinese that is Southern Chinese
During the Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China, 734,438 persons in the Chinese mainland, 97% of them in Guizhou, were specifically recorded as belonging to "Undistinguished ethnic groups". Presumably, other members of such groups may have been counted within larger "recognized" groups.

Ethnic groups in Hong Kong and Macau

and Macau are special administrative regions of the People's Republic of 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 Europeans, and South or Southeast Asians live in Hong Kong.

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