List of ethnic groups in China

For the subgroups, see Han Chinese.

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, commonly called "Taiwan").

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group, where some 91.59% 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 (16.9 million), Hui (10.5 million), Manchu (10.3 million), Uyghur (10 million), Miao (9.4 million), Yi (8.7 million), Tujia (8.3 million), Tibetan (6.2 million), Mongol (5.9 million), Dong (2.8 million), Buyei (2.8 million), Yao (2.7 million), Bai (1.9 million), Korean (1.8 million), Hani (1.6 million), Li (1.4 million), Kazakh (1.4 million), and Dai (1.2 million).

Officially recognized ethnic groups in mainland China

In order of population, 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.

English Name	Standard Romanization	CodeA	Pinyin	Simplified Chinese	2010 National Shares	2010 PopulationB	2000 PopulationB	1990 PopulationB
Han1	Han	HA	Hàn Zú	汉族	91.6474%	1,220,844,520	1,139,773,008	1,042,482,187
Zhuang	Zhuang	ZH	Zhuàng Zú	壮族	1.2700%	16,926,381	16,187,163	15,489,630
Hui2	Hui	HU	Huí Zú	回族	0.7943%	10,586,087	9,828,126	8,602,978
Manchu	Man	MA	Mǎn Zú	满族	0.7794%	10,387,958	10,708,464	9,821,180
Uyghur	Uyghur	UG	Wéiwú'ěr Zú	维吾尔族	0.7555%	10,069,346	8,405,416	7,214,431
Miao3	Miao	MH	Miáo Zú	苗族	0.7072%	9,426,007	8,945,538	7,398,035
Yi	Yi	YI	Yí Zú	彝族	0.6538%	8,714,393	7,765,858	6,572,173
Tujia	Tujia	TJ	Tǔjiā Zú	土家族	0.6268%	8,353,912	8,037,014	5,704,223
Tibetan4	Zang	ZA	Zàng Zú	藏族	0.4713%	6,282,187	5,422,954	4,593,330
Mongol	Mongol	MG	Měnggǔ Zú	蒙古族	0.4488%	5,981,840	5,827,808	4,806,849
Dong	Dong	DO	Dòng Zú	侗族	0.2161%	2,879,974	2,962,911	2,514,014
Bouyei	Bouyei	BY	Bùyī Zú	布依族	0.2153%	2,870,034	2,973,217	2,545,059
Yao	Yao	YA	Yáo Zú	瑶族	0.2098%	2,796,003	2,638,878	2,134,013
Bai	Bai	BA	Bái Zú	白族	0.1451%	1,933,510	1,861,895	1,594,827
Korean	Chosen	CS	Cháoxiān Zú	朝鲜族	0.1374%	1,830,929	1,929,696	1,920,597
Hani5	Hani	HN	Hāní Zú	哈尼族	0.1246%	1,660,932	1,440,029	1,253,952
Li	Li	LI	Lí Zú	黎族	0.1098%	1,463,064	1,248,022	1,110,900
Kazakh	Kazak	KZ	Hāsàkè Zú	哈萨克族	0.1097%	1,462,588	1,251,023	1,111,718
Dai6	Dai	DA	Dǎi Zú	傣族	0.0946%	1,261,311	1,159,231	1,025,128
She	She	SH	Shē Zú	畲族	0.0532%	708,651	710,039	630,378
Lisu	Lisu	LS	Lìsù Zú	傈僳族	0.0527%	702,839	635,101	574,856
Dongxiang	Dongxiang	DX	Dōngxiāng Zú	东乡族	0.0466%	621,500	513,826	373,872
Gelao	Gelao	GL	Gēlǎo Zú	仡佬族	0.0413%	550,746	579,744	437,997
Lahu	Lahu	LH	Lāhù Zú	拉祜族	0.0365%	485,966	453,765	411,476
Va	Va	VA	Wǎ Zú	佤族	0.0322%	429,709	396,709	351,974
Sui	Sui	SU	Shuǐ Zú	水族	0.0309%	411,847	407,000	345,993
Nakhi7	Naxi	NX	Nàxī Zú	纳西族	0.0245%	326,295	309,477	278,009
Qiang	Qiang	QI	Qiāng Zú	羌族	0.0232%	309,576	306,476	198,252
Tu	Tu	TU	Tǔ Zú	土族	0.0217%	289,565	241,593	191,624
Mulao8	Mulao	ML	Mùlǎo Zú	仫佬族	0.0162%	216,257	207,464	159,328
Xibe	Xibe	XB	Xībó Zú	锡伯族	0.0143%	190,481	189,357	172,847
Kyrgyz	Kirgiz	KG	Kē'ěrkèzī Zú	柯尔克孜族	0.0140%	186,708	160,875	141,549
Jingpo9	Jingpo	JP	Jǐngpō Zú	景颇族	0.0111%	147,828	132,158	119,209
Daur	Daur	DU	Dáwò'ěr Zú	达斡尔族	0.0099%	131,992	132,747	121,357
Salar	Salar	SL	Sālā Zú	撒拉族	0.0098%	130,607	104,521	87,697
Blang	Blang	BL	Bùlǎng Zú	布朗族	0.0090%	119,639	91,891	82,280
Maonan10	Maonan	MN	Máonán Zú	毛南族	0.0076%	101,192	107,184	71,968
Tajik	Tajik	TA	Tǎjíkè Zú	塔吉克族	0.0038%	51,069	41,056	33,538
Pumi	Pumi	PM	Pǔmǐ Zú	普米族	0.0032%	42,861	33,628	29,657
Achang	Achang	AC	Āchāng Zú	阿昌族	0.0030%	39,555	33,954	27,708
Nu	Nu	NU	Nù Zú	怒族	0.0028%	37,523	28,770	27,123
Ewenki	Ewenki	EW	Èwēnkè Zú	鄂温克族	0.0023%	30,875	30,545	26,315
Gin11	Gin	GI	Jīng Zú	京族	0.0021%	28,199	22,584	18,915
Jino	Jino	JN	Jīnuò Zú	基诺族	0.0017%	23,143	20,899	18,021
De'ang	Deang	DE	Dé'áng Zú	德昂族	0.0015%	20,556	17,935	15,462
Bonan	Bonan	BO	Bǎo'ān Zú	保安族	0.0015%	20,074	16,505	12,212
Russian	Russ	RS	Éluósī Zú	俄罗斯族	0.0012%	15,393	15,631	13,504
Yugur	Yugur	YG	Yùgù Zú	裕固族	0.0011%	14,378	13,747	12,297
Uzbek	Uzbek	UZ	Wūzībiékè Zú	乌孜别克族	0.0008%	10,569	12,423	14,502
Monba	Monba	MB	Ménbā Zú	门巴族	0.0008%	10,561	8,928	7,475
Oroqen	Oroqen	OR	Èlúnchūn Zú	鄂伦春族	0.0006%	8,659	8,216	6,965
Derung	Derung	DR	Dúlóng Zú	独龙族	0.0005%	6,930	7,431	5,816
Hezhen12	Hezhen	HZ	Hèzhé Zú	赫哲族	0.0004%	5,354	4,664	4,245
Gaoshan13	Gaoshan	GS	Gāoshān Zú	高山族	0.0003%	4,009	4,488	2,909
Lhoba	Lhoba	LB	Luòbā Zú	珞巴族	0.0003%	3,682	2,970	2,312
Tatars	Tatar	TT	Tǎtǎ'ěr Zú	塔塔尔族	0.0003%	3,556	4,895	4,873
Undistinguished	Undistinguished	none	Wèi Shìbié Mínzú	未识别民族	0.0480%	640,101	734,438	749 341
Naturalized Citizen	—	none	Wàiguórén Jiārù Zhōngguójí	外国人加入中国籍	0.0001%	1,448	941	3,421

^AGB 3304－91 "Names of nationalities of China in romanization with codes";
^BThe population only includes China and the Republic of China (Taiwan);
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;
⁵Also included are the Sangkong;
⁶This category includes several different Tai-speaking groups historically referred to as Bai-yi;
⁷Also included are the Mosuo;
⁸Also included are the zh:木佬人 (Qago);
⁹Known as Kachin in Myanmar;
¹⁰The same group as Vietnamese or Kinh in Sino-Vietnamese and historically referred to as 越 Yuè, cognate to Vietnamese Việt. See Bǎiyuè;
¹¹Also included are the Then;
¹²The same group as Nanai on the Russian side of the border;
¹³A collective name for all Taiwanese aborigine groups in Taiwan.

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. Also, scientific research conducted by Chen Shun-sheng of the Kaohsiung Hospital’s psychiatric department confirms DNA studies of Taiwan’s people revealed a large percentage of the population has mixed Han Chinese and aboriginal bloodlines.^{[citation needed]}

"Undistinguished" ethnic minority groups

Main article: Undistinguished ethnic groups in China

Part of a poster in Beijing showing the 56 ethnic groups of China

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)
• Waxiang (瓦乡人, Wǎxiāng 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 and North East China^{[citation needed]}
• Macanese (土生葡人, Descendant of Portuguese in Macau since 16th century)

During the Fifth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (2000), 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

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

• 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

External links

• "Chinese ethnic odyssey." - Collection of articles from the People's Daily
• Family album of Chinese 56 ethnic groups
• http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/10/world/20090711-xinjiang.html