List of ethnic groups in China

China is home to many different groups of people, each with their own languages, traditions, and cultures. The largest group is the Han Chinese. There are also 55 smaller groups called minority ethnic groups. Some of the bigger groups include the Zhuang, Hui, Uyghurs, Miao, Manchus, and Tibetans.

Ethnolinguistic map of China

In places like Hong Kong and Macau, you can find people from Western Europe, Southeast Asia, and South Asia living there too. All these groups together are called the Zhonghua minzu, meaning "Chinese ethnicity".

Officially recognized groups

Officially recognized ethnic groups in China receive special benefits. These include help to keep their traditions alive and places in government. They also get extra money from the government. Their languages are used in official documents.

China first recognized 39 ethnic groups in 1954. By 1964, this number grew to 54. Then the Lhoba people were added in 1965. The last group added was the Jino people in 1979. This made a total of 56 recognized ethnic groups today.

Standard Romanization	Code	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	2020 National Shares	2020 Population	2010 Population	2000 Population	1990 Population	Year of recognition
Han	HA	汉族	Hànzú	91.1098%	1,284,446,389	1,220,844,520	1,139,773,008	1,042,482,187	1954
Zhuang	ZH	壮族	Zhuàngzú	1.3801%	19,568,546	16,926,381	16,187,163	15,489,630	1954
Uygur	UG	维吾尔族	Wéiwú'ěrzú	0.8352%	11,774,538	10,069,346	8,405,416	7,214,431	1954
Hui	HU	回族	Huízú	0.8070%	11,377,914	10,586,087	9,828,126	8,602,978	1954
Miao	MH	苗族	Miáozú	0.7851%	11,067,929	9,426,007	8,945,538	7,398,035	1954
Man	MA	满族	Mǎnzú	0.7394%	10,423,303	10,387,958	10,708,464	9,821,180	1954
Yi	YI	彝族	Yízú	0.6973%	9,830,327	8,714,393	7,765,858	6,572,173	1954
Tujia	TJ	土家族	Tǔjiāzú	0.6801%	9,587,732	8,353,912	8,037,014	5,704,223	1964
Zang / Tibetan	ZA	藏族	Zàngzú	0.5008%	7,060,731	6,282,187	5,422,954	4,593,330	1954
Mongol	MG	蒙古族	Měnggǔzú	0.4461%	6,290,204	5,981,840	5,827,808	4,806,849	1954
Buyei	BY	布依族	Bùyīzú	0.2537%	3,576,752	2,870,034	2,973,217	2,545,059	1954
Dong	DO	侗族	Dòngzú	0.2480%	3,495,993	2,879,974	2,962,911	2,514,014	1954
Yao	YA	瑶族	Yáozú	0.2347%	3,309,341	2,796,003	2,638,878	2,134,013	1954
Bai	BA	白族	Báizú	0.1484%	2,091,543	1,933,510	1,861,895	1,594,827	1954
Hani	HN	哈尼族	Hānízú	0.1229%	1,733,166	1,660,932	1,440,029	1,253,952	1954
Chosen / Korean	CS	朝鲜族	Cháoxiǎnzú	0.1207%	1,702,479	1,830,929	1,929,696	1,920,597	1954
Li	LI	黎族	Lízú	0.1136%	1,602,104	1,463,064	1,248,022	1,110,900	1954
Kazak	KZ	哈萨克族	Hāsàkèzú	0.1108%	1,562,518	1,462,588	1,248,022	1,110,900	1954
Dai	DA	傣族	Dǎizú	0.0943%	1,329,985	1,261,311	1,159,231	1,025,128	1954
Lisu	LS	傈僳族	Lìsùzú	0.0541%	762,296	702,839	635,101	574,856	1954
She	SH	畲族	Shēzú	0.0529%	746,385	708,651	710,039	630,378	1964
Dongxiang	DX	东乡族	Dōngxiāngzú	0.0550%	774,947	621,500	513,826	373,872	1954
Gelao	GL	仡佬族	Gēlǎozú	0.0481%	677,521	550,746	579,744	437,997	1964
Lahu	LH	拉祜族	Lāhùzú	0.0354%	499,167	485,966	453,765	411,476	1954
Sui	SU	水族	Shuǐzú	0.0352%	495,928	411,847	407,000	345,993	1954
Va	VA	佤族	Wǎzú	0.0306%	430,997	429,709	396,709	351,974	1954
Naxi	NX	纳西族	Nàxīzú	0.0230%	323,767	326,295	309,477	278,009	1954
Qiang	QI	羌族	Qiāngzú	0.0222%	312,981	309,576	306,476	198,252	1954
Tu	TU	土族	Tǔzú	0.0200%	281,928	289,565	241,593	191,624	1954
Mulao	ML	仫佬族	Mùlǎozú	0.0197%	277,233	216,257	207,464	159,328	1964
Kirgiz	KG	柯尔克孜族	Kē'ěrkèzīzú	0.0145%	204,402	186,708	160,875	141,549	1954
Xibe	XB	锡伯族	Xībózú	0.0136%	191,911	190,481	189,357	172,847	1954
Salar	SL	撒拉族	Sālāzú	0.0117%	165,159	130,607	104,521	87,697	1954
Jingpo	JP	景颇族	Jǐngpōzú	0.0114%	160,471	147,828	132,158	119,209	1954
Daur	DU	达斡尔族	Dáwò'ěrzú	0.0094%	132,299	131,992	132,747	121,357	1964
Blang	BL	布朗族	Bùlǎngzú	0.0090%	127,345	119,639	91,891	82,280	1964
Maonan	MN	毛南族	Máonánzú	0.0088%	124,092	101,192	107,184	71,968	1964
Tajik	TA	塔吉克族	Tǎjíkèzú	0.0036%	50,896	51,069	41,056	33,538	1954
Pumi	PM	普米族	Pǔmǐzú	0.0032%	45,012	42,861	33,628	29,657	1964
Achang	AC	阿昌族	Āchāngzú	0.0031%	43,775	39,555	33,954	27,708	1964
Nu	NU	怒族	Nùzú	0.0026%	36,575	37,523	28,770	27,123	1964
Ewenki	EW	鄂温克族	Èwēnkèzú	0.0025%	34,617	30,875	30,545	26,315	1954
Gin	GI	京族	Jīngzú	0.0024%	33,112	28,199	22,584	18,915	1964
Jino	JN	基诺族	Jīnuòzú	0.0018%	26,025	23,143	20,899	18,021	1979
Bonan	BN	保安族	Bǎo'ānzú	0.0017%	24,434	20,074	16,505	12,212	1954
Deang	DE	德昂族	Dé'ángzú	0.0016%	22,354	20,556	17,935	15,462	1964
Russ	RS	俄罗斯族	Éluósīzú	0.0011%	16,136	15,393	15,631	13,504	1954
Yugur	YG	裕固族	Yùgùzú	0.0010%	14,706	14,378	13,747	12,297	1954
Uzbek	UZ	乌孜别克族	Wūzībiékèzú	0.0009%	12,742	10,569	12,423	14,502	1954
Monba	MB	门巴族	Ménbāzú	0.0008%	11,143	10,561	8,928	7,475	1964
Oroqen	OR	鄂伦春族	Èlúnchūnzú	0.0007%	9,168	8,659	8,216	6,965	1954
Derung	DR	独龙族	Dúlóngzú	0.0005%	7,310	6,930	7,431	5,816	1964
Hezhen	HZ	赫哲族	Hèzhézú	0.0004%	5,373	5,354	4,664	4,245	1964
Lhoba	LB	珞巴族	Luòbāzú	0.0003%	4,237	3,682	2,970	2,312	1965
Tatar	TT	塔塔尔族	Tǎtǎ'ěrzú	0.0003%	3,544	3,556	4,895	4,873	1954
Gaoshan	GS	高山族	Gāoshānzú	0.0002%	3,479	4,009	4,488	2,909	1954
(Undistinguished)	none	未识别民族	Wèi Shìbié Mínzú	0.0593%	836,488	640,101	734,438	749,341	—
(Naturalized citizens)	none	外国人加入中国籍	Wàiguórén Jiārù Zhōngguójí	0.0012%	16,595	1,448	941	3,421	—

Unlisted ethnic groups

Main article: Unrecognized ethnic groups in China

Some ethnic groups in China are not officially recognized by the government. These groups include the Äynu people, who are grouped with the Uyghurs, and the Altai people, grouped with the Mongols. Others, like the Bajia, Chuanqing people, and Deng people, also do not have official recognition.

During a big count of people in China in 2000, many people were noted as part of groups that were not clearly identified. Most of these people lived in the region of Guizhou.

Officially recognized groups

Unlisted ethnic groups

Images

Related articles