List of ethnic groups in China

For the subgroups, see Han Chinese subgroups.

Ethnolinguistic map of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Multiple ethnic groups populate China, where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal names, the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, aka "Taiwan").

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group, where some 91.59% ^[1] of the population was classified as Han Chinese (~1.2 billion). Besides the majority Han Chinese, 55 other ethnic groups are recognised in mainland China by the PRC government, numbering approximately 105 million people, mostly concentrated in the northwest, north, northeast, south, and southwest but with some in central interior areas.

The major minority ethnic groups are Zhuang (16.1 million), Manchu (10.6 million), Hui (9.8 million), Miao (8.9 million), Uyghur (8.3 million), Tujia (8 million), Yi (7.7 million), Mongol (5.8 million), Tibetan (5.4 million), Buyei (2.9 million), Dong (2.9 million), Yao (2.6 million), Korean (1.9 million), Bai (1.8 million), Hani (1.4 million), Kazakh (1.2 million), Li (1.2 million), and Dai (1.1 million).

Officially recognized ethnic groups in mainland China

In order of population,^[2] this is the list of the 56 ethnic groups in China that are officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China. Members of several ethnic groups reside in Hong Kong and Macau, but due to the long separation from China, many of these ethnic groups are generally unknown^{[citation needed]} to the Special Administrative Regions (of People's Republic of China) of Hong Kong and of Macau.^{[clarification needed]}

English name	Standard Romanization	CodeA	Pinyin	S. Chinese	T. Chinese	PopulationB
Han	Han	HA	Hàn Zú	汉族	漢族	1,225,932,641 (2010)
Zhuang	Zhuang	ZH	Zhuàng Zú	壮族	壯族	16,178,811
Manchu	Man	MA	Mǎn Zú	满族	滿族	10,682,263
Hui1	Hui	HU	Huí Zú	回族	回族	9,816,802
Miao2	Miao	MH	Miáo Zú	苗族	苗族	8,940,116
Uyghur	Uyghur	UG	Wéiwú'ěr Zú	维吾尔族	維吾爾族	8,399,393
Tujia	Tujia	TJ	Tǔjiā Zú	土家族	土家族	8,028,133
Yi	Yi	YI	Yí Zú	彝族	彝族	7,762,286
Mongol	Mongol	MG	Měnggǔ Zú	蒙古族	蒙古族	5,813,947
Tibetan3	Zang	ZA	Zàng Zú	藏族	藏族	5,416,021
Buyei	Buyei	BY	Bùyī Zú	布依族	布依族	2,971,460
Dong	Dong	DO	Dòng Zú	侗族	侗族	2,960,293
Yao	Yao	YA	Yáo Zú	瑶族	瑤族	2,637,421
Korean	Chosen	CS	Cháoxiǎn Zú	朝鲜族	朝鮮族	1,923,842
Bai	Bai	BA	Bái Zú	白族	白族	1,858,063
Hani	Hani	HN	Hāní Zú	哈尼族	哈尼族	1,439,673
Kazakh	Kazak	KZ	Hāsàkè Zú	哈萨克族	哈薩克族	1,420,458
Li	Li	LI	Lí Zú	黎族	黎族	1,247,814
Dai4	Dai	DA	Dǎi Zú	傣族	傣族	1,158,989
She	She	SH	Shē Zú	畲族	畲族	709,592
Lisu	Lisu	LS	Lìsù Zú	傈僳族	傈僳族	634,912
Gelao	Gelao	GL	Gēlǎo Zú	仡佬族	仡佬族	579,357
Dongxiang	Dongxiang	DX	Dōngxiāng Zú	东乡族	東鄉族	513,805
Gaoshan5	Gaoshan	GS	Gāoshān Zú	高山族	高山族	458,000
Lahu	Lahu	LH	Lāhù Zú	拉祜族	拉祜族	453,705
Sui	Sui	SU	Shuǐ Zú	水族	水族	406,902
Va	Va	VA	Wǎ Zú	佤族	佤族	396,610
Nakhi6	Naxi	NX	Nàxī Zú	纳西族	納西族	308,839
Qiang	Qiang	QI	Qiāng Zú	羌族	羌族	306,072
Tu	Tu	TU	Tǔ Zú	土族	土族	241,198
Mulao	Mulao	ML	Mùlǎo Zú	仫佬族	仫佬族	207,352
Xibe	Xibe	XB	Xíbó Zú	锡伯族	錫伯族	188,824
Kyrgyz	Kirgiz	KG	Kē'ěrkèzī Zú	柯尔克孜族	柯爾克孜族	160,823
Daur	Daur	DU	Dáwò'ěr Zú	达斡尔族	達斡爾族	132,394
Jingpo7	Jingpo	JP	Jǐngpō Zú	景颇族	景頗族	132,143
Maonan	Maonan	MN	Màonán Zú	毛南族	毛南族	107,166
Salar	Salar	SL	Sālā Zú	撒拉族	撒拉族	104,503
Blang	Blang	BL	Bùlǎng Zú	布朗族	布朗族	91,882
Tajik	Tajik	TA	Tǎjíkè Zú	塔吉克族	塔吉克族	41,028
Achang	Achang	AC	Āchāng Zú	阿昌族	阿昌族	33,936
Pumi	Pumi	PM	Pǔmǐ Zú	普米族	普米族	33,600
Ewenki	Ewenki	EW	Èwēnkè Zú	鄂温克族	鄂温克族	30,505
Nu	Nu	NU	Nù Zú	怒族	怒族	28,759
Gin8	Gin	GI	Jīng Zú	京族	京族	22,517
Jino	Jino	JN	Jīnuò Zú	基诺族	基諾族	20,899
De'ang	Deang	DE	Dé'áng Zú	德昂族	德昂族	17,935
Bonan	Bonan	BO	Bǎoān Zú	保安族	保安族	16,505
Russian	Russ	RS	Éluósī Zú	俄罗斯族	俄羅斯族	15,609
Yugur	Yugur	YG	Yùgù Zú	裕固族	裕固族	13,719
Uzbek	Uzbek	UZ	Wūzībiékè Zú	乌孜别克族	烏孜别克族	12,370
Monba	Monba	MB	Ménbā Zú	门巴族	門巴族	8,923
Oroqen	Oroqen	OR	Èlúnchūn Zú	鄂伦春族	鄂倫春族	8,196
Derung	Derung	DR	Dúlóng Zú	独龙族	獨龍族	7,426
Tatars	Tatar	TT	Tǎtǎ'ěr Zú	塔塔尔族	塔塔爾族	4,890
Hezhen9	Hezhen	HZ	Hèzhé Zú	赫哲族	赫哲族	4,640
Lhoba	Lhoba	LB	Luòbā Zú	珞巴族	珞巴族	2,965
Undistinguished	Undistinguished	none	Wèi Shìbié Mínzú	未识别民族	未識別民族	734,438

^AGB 3304－91 "Names of nationalities of China in romanization with codes".^[3]
Bthe population only includes China and the Republic of China (Taiwan)
¹also includes Utsuls of Hainan, descended from Cham refugees
²a subset of which is also known as Hmong
³including Amdowa and Khampa
⁴this category includes several different Tai-speaking groups historically referred to as Bai-yi
⁵a collective name for all Taiwanese aborigine groups in Taiwan
⁶also included are the zh:摩梭; Mósuō
⁷known as Kachin in Myanmar
⁸The same group as Vietnamese or Kinh in Sino-Vietnamese and historically referred to as 越 Yuè, cognate to Vietnamese Việt. See Bǎiyuè.
⁹the same group as Nanai on the Russian side of the border

Taiwanese aborigines

Main article: Taiwanese Aborigines

The People's Republic of China government officially refers to all Taiwanese aborigines as Gaoshan, whereas the Republic of China (Taiwan) recognizes 14 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. Due to the contested political status and legal status of Taiwan, the PRC classification of Taiwanese aborigines may be controversial.

"Undistinguished" ethnic minority groups

Main article: Undistinguished ethnic groups in China

Poster showing the 56 ethnic groups of China in Beijing

This is a list of ethnic groups in China that are not officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China.

• Ayi people
• Äynu people
• Gejia (亻革家人, Gèjiā Rén)
• Bajia (八甲人, Bājiǎ Rén)
• Deng (僜人, Dèng Rén)
• Khmu (克木人, Kèmù Rén)
• Kucong (Yellow Lahu/Lahu Shi (苦聪人; Traditional: 苦聰人; Kǔcōng Rén)
• Mang (芒人, Máng Rén)
• Sherpas (夏尔巴人; Traditional: 夏爾巴人; Xiàěrbā Rén)
• Tuvans (图瓦人, Túwǎ Rén)
• Yi (羿人, Yìrén)
• Youtai (犹太; Traditional: 猶太; Yóutài) (Jewish people of China and Jewish people in general)
• Yamato Japanese (大和民族) and Ryukyuans (琉球民族) living as permanent residents in Taiwan^{[citation needed]}
• Macanese (土生葡人, Descendant of Portuguese in Macau since 16th century)

Ethnic groups in Hong Kong and Macau

See also: Demographics of Hong Kong and Demographics of Macau

Hong Kong 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. As a result, minority groups such as Europeans (mainly English), and South or South East Asians (mainly Filipinos, Indian, Indonesians, Nepalese and Pakistani) in Hong Kong.

Gallery

• 

  Zhuang

• 

  Manchu

• 

  Hui

• 

  Miao

• 

  Uyghurs

• 

  Tujia

• 

  Yi

• 

  Mongols

See also

China portal

• Han Chinese subgroups
• Ethnic minorities in China
• Undistinguished ethnic groups in China
• Tai ethnic groups in China
• Ethnic groups in Taiwan
• Zhonghua Minzu
• Taiwanese aborigines
• Demographics of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan
• Languages of China

References

1. ^ http://www.macroworldinvestor.com/m/m.w?lp=grp&Page=3&cntry=GPCH&regid=61
2. ^ List of ethnic groups in China and their population sizes Paul and Bernice Noll's Window on the World.
3. ^ GB 3304－91 Names of nationalities of China in romanization with codes.

External links

• "Chinese ethnic odyssey." - Collection of articles from the People's Daily
• Family album of Chinese 56 ethnic groups