List of ethnic groups in Burma

An ethnolinguistic map of Burma

Burma (Myanmar) is an ethnically diverse nation with 135 distinct ethnic groups officially recognized by the Burmese government. These are grouped into eight "major national ethnic races":

1. Kachin
2. Kayah
3. Kayin
4. Chin
5. Mon
6. Bamar
7. Rakhine
8. Shan^[1]

The "major national ethnic races" are grouped primarily according to region rather than linguistic or ethnic affiliation, as for example the Shan Major National Ethnic Race includes 33 ethnic groups speaking languages in at least four widely differing language families.[2]^[2]

Many unrecognised ethnic groups exist, the largest being the Burmese Chinese and Panthay (who together form 3% of the population), Burmese Indians (who form 2% of the population), Anglo-Burmese, Gurkha and Rohingya. There are no official statistics regarding the population of the latter two groups, although unofficial estimates place around 52,000 Anglo-Burmese in Burma with around 1.6 million outside of the country.

Ethnic Composition in Myanmar (Rough Estimate)
Bamar			68%
Shan			9%
Kayin			7%
Rakhine			3.5%
Chinese			2.5%
Mon			2%
Kachin			1.5%
Indians			1.25%
Kayah			0.75%
Other groups including Wa, Naga, Lahu, Lisu and Palaung			4.5%

Alphabetical list

1. Anu
2. Anun
3. Asho (Plain)
4. Atsi
5. Awa Khami
6. Bamar (Burman) i.e. the main ethno-linguistic group in Burma
7. Beik
8. Bre (Ka-Yaw)
9. Bwe
10. Chin
11. Dai (Yindu)
12. Daignet people
13. Dalaung
14. Danaw (also spelled Danau)
15. Danu
16. Dawei
17. Dim
18. Duleng
19. Eik-swair
20. En (sometimes spelled Eng)
21. Ganan
22. Gheko
23. Guari
24. Gunte (Lyente)
25. Gwete
26. Haulngo
27. Hkahku
28. Hkun (also spelled Khün)
29. Hpon
30. Intha
31. Jinghpaw
32. Kachin (Jingpo)
33. Kadu (Kado)
34. Ka-Lin-Kaw (Lushay)
35. Kamein
36. Kaung Saing Chin
37. Kaungso
38. Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw)
39. Kayah (also known as Karenni)
40. Kayin (Karen)
41. Kayinpyu (Geba Karen)
42. Ka-Yun (also spelled Kayan; Padaung)
43. Kebar
44. Khami
45. Khamti Shan
46. Khmu (Khamu)
47. Khawno
48. Kokang (sometimes spelled Kokant)
49. Kwangli (Sim)
50. Kwelshin
51. Kwe Myi
52. Kwi
53. Lahu
54. Lai (Haka Chin)
55. Laizao
56. Lashi (La Chit)
57. Lawhtu
58. Laymyo
59. Lhinbu
60. Lisu
61. Lushei (Lushay)
62. Lyente
63. Magun
64. Maingtha
65. Malay
66. Malin
67. Manu Manaw
68. Man Zi
69. Maramagyi
70. Maru (Lawgore)
71. Matu
72. Maw Shan
73. Meitei (also spelled Meithei or Kathe)
74. Mgan
75. Mi-er
76. Mara (Also known to outsiders as Miram, Shendu, Lakher, etc.)
77. Moken (also spelled Salon or Salone)
78. Mon
79. Monnepwa
80. Monpwa
81. Mon Kayin (Sarpyu)
82. Mro
83. Naga
84. Ngorn
85. Oo-Pu
86. Paku
87. Palaung
88. Pale
89. Pa-Le-Chi
90. Panun
91. Pa-O
92. Pyin
93. Rakhine (Arakanese)
94. Rawang
95. Rongtu
96. Saing Zan
97. Saline
98. Sentang
99. Sgaw
100. Shan
101. Shan Gale
102. Shan Gyi
103. Shu (Pwo Kayin)
104. Son
105. Tai-Loi
106. Tai-Lem
107. Tai-Lon
108. Tai-Lay
109. Taishon
110. Ta-Lay-Pwa
111. Tanghkul
112. Tapong
113. Taron - the so-called "Tibetan pigmies"
114. Taungyo
115. Tay-Zan
116. Thado
117. Thet
118. Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
119. Torr (also spelled Tawr)
120. Wa (Va)
121. Wakim (Mro)
122. Yabein
123. Yao
124. Yaw
125. Yin Baw
126. Yin Kya
127. Yin Net
128. Yin Talai
129. Yun (Lao)
130. Za-How
131. Zahnyet (Zanniet)
132. Zayein
133. Zizan
134. Zo
135. Zo-Pe
136. Zotung

List grouped by language family

Sino-Tibetan

• Chinese
  • Kokang (Mandarin Chinese dialect; sometimes spelled Kokant)
  • Panthay (Mandarin Chinese dialect) - not in official list of 135 ethnic groups
  • Overseas Chinese (Hokkien, Cantonese) - not in official list of 135 ethnic groups

• Tibeto-Burman
  • Burman (Bamar)
  • Anu
  • Anun
  • Asho (Plain)
  • Atsi
  • Beik
  • Bwe
  • Chin
  • Daignet people
  • Dalaung
  • Danu
  • Dawei
  • Dim
  • Duleng
  • Ganan
  • Gheko
  • Gunte (Lyente)
  • Haulngo
  • Hpon
  • Intha
  • Kachin (Jingpo)
  • Kadu (Kado)
  • Kayin (Karen)
  • Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw, Akha)
  • Kayinpyu (Geba Karen)
  • Kwelshin
  • Lahu

• Lai (Haka Chin)
• Laizao
• Lashi (La Chit)
• Lisu
• Lyente
• Maingtha
• Maru (Lawgore)
• Meitei (also spelled Meithei or Kathe)
• Miram (Mara)
• Monnepwa
• Mro
• Naga
• Pa-O
• Pyin
• Rakhine (Arakanese)
• Rawang
• Sgaw
• Shu (Pwo)
• Taron
• Taungyo
• Thet
• Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
• Torr (also spelled Tawr)
• Yaw
• Zo
• Zo-Pe
• Zotung

Tai–Kadai

• Tai
  • Shan
  • Hkun (also spelled Khün)
  • Khamti Shan
  • Thai

Hmong–Mien

• Yao

Austro-Asiatic

• Mon–Khmer
  • Mon
  • Danaw (also spelled Danau)
  • Khmu (Khamu)
  • Tai-Loi
  • Wa (Va)
  • Palaung
  • Pale

Austronesian

• Malayo-Polynesian
  • Malay
  • Moken (also spelled Salon or Salone)

Indo-European

• Indo-Aryan
  • Kamein^[3]

Unrecognized ethnic groups

As in the People's Republic of China, the government of Burma does not recognize several ethnic groups as being among the list of 135 officially recognized ethnic groups:

• Burmese Chinese
  • Panthay (Muslims of Chinese origin)
• Burmese Indians
• Gurkha
• Anglo-Burmese (Eurasians of mixed Burmese and European—though not necessarily British—ancestry)
• Bengali (Indo-European)[3][4][5][6][7]

See also

• Demographics of Burma

References

1. ^ Retrieved from Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism webpage at
2. ^ For example, the Shan speak a Tai–Kadai language, the Lahu speak a Tibeto-Burman language, the Khamu speak a Mon–Khmer language, and the Yao speak a Hmong–Mien language.
3. ^ [1] states that the Kamein "descended from Indian archer-warriors who served Arakan emperors during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and consisted originally of Afghan Pathans, Moguls, Bengalis and many other Indo-Aryan races of north India."

External links

• List of ethnic groups in Myanmar - Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism
• Ethnologue page for Burma languages
• Minorities in Burma and Burma: Time for Change by Minority Rights Group International