White people

White people are a group identified mainly by their light skin color and often linked to people of European origin. The idea of being "white" as a race developed over time, especially during the time when European countries were building colonies and practicing race-based slavery. Before this, ancient societies described people by their skin tone but did not think of "whiteness" as a race.

Today, many scientists see the idea of a single "white race" as a social concept rather than a real, scientific category. They recognize that all humans have some biological differences, but the idea of distinct races, including white people, does not have a solid scientific basis. Instead, it is shaped by social and historical contexts.

The term "white" has changed meaning through history. In the past, people in Europe described themselves mainly by their religion, ancestry, ethnicity, or nationality, rather than by a shared racial identity. Only later did the concept of a unified white race become widely accepted, especially in relation to social status and colonial powers.

Understanding white people helps us see how ideas about race have developed and affect societies today. It shows how human identities are influenced by history, culture, and social structures rather than by strict biological differences.

Physical descriptions in antiquity

Main article: Pre-modern conceptions of whiteness

Long ago, people often linked the words "white" and "black" to ideas about good and bad, but not always to skin color. For example, changing one's skin color could be a way to describe becoming religious or not. In ancient times, people from places like Egypt, Mycenaean Greece, and Minoan Crete often showed women with light skin and men with darker, sun-tanned skin in art. Some ancient writers, like Plato and Aristotle, thought that men with very light skin might seem weak.

Writers such as Xenophon of Athens talked about people from Persia having light skin because they wore clothes and didn't do hard work. Ancient observers noted different looks among various groups, like the Scythians having blue eyes and red hair, or the Egyptians and Colchians having darker skin and curly hair.

History

The word "White" started being used to describe people from Europe in the 1600s. This happened during a time when many people from Africa were taken from their homes and forced to work without pay. People began to connect the idea of "Whiteness" with being from Europe and having certain traits.

Later, some scientists tried to prove that people from Europe were better than others by studying race. These ideas were proven wrong by scientists in the 1900s. Different people thought about what made someone "White" in many ways over time. Some included people from parts of Asia, while others did not. Even among Europeans, some thought people from the north were different from those in the south. These ideas changed a lot over time and were not always agreed upon.

Census and social definitions in different regions

Definitions of White have changed over time, including the official definitions used in many countries, such as the United States and Brazil. Through the mid to late twentieth century, many countries had formal legal standards or procedures defining racial categories. Some countries do not ask questions about race or colour at all in their census. A decrease in the number of people identifying as White has been observed in Australia, Canada, the United States, and some European countries including the United Kingdom.

Africa

See also: White Angolans, White people in Botswana, White people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, White Malawians, White Namibians, and White people in Zambia

South Africa

Main article: White South Africans

See also: Afrikaners and White Africans of European ancestry

White Dutch people first arrived in South Africa around 1652. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, some 2,000 Europeans and their descendants were established in the region. Although these early Afrikaners represented various nationalities, including German peasants and French Huguenots, the community retained a thoroughly Dutch character.

There were 4.6 million Whites in South Africa in 2011, down from an all-time high of 5.2 million in 1995 following a wave of emigration commencing in the late twentieth century. However, many returned over time.

Asia

Philippines

See also: Spanish Filipinos, Mexican Filipinos, and American Filipinos

In the Far East at Southeast Asia, in the Philippines, a genetic study by the National Geographic, shows 5% of the ancestry of Filipinos can be traced to Southern Europeans that had arrived due to the Spanish colonization of the archipelago. In addition to these American-Filipinos there are also 250,000 Amerasians of mixed Filipino and American descent scattered across cities.

Hong Kong

In the 2021 census of Hong Kong, 61,582 people identified as white representing 0.8% of the resident population.

Australia and Oceania

Australia

See also: European Australians and Anglo-Celtic Australians

From 1788, when the first British colony in Australia was founded, until the early nineteenth century, most immigrants to Australia were convicts. These were augmented by small numbers of free settlers from the British Isles and other European countries. However, until the mid-nineteenth century, there were few restrictions on immigration.

People of many nationalities, including many non-White people, emigrated to Australia during the gold rushes of the 1850s. However, the vast majority was still White.

From the late nineteenth century, the Colonial/State and later federal governments of Australia restricted all permanent immigration to the country by non-Europeans. These policies became known as the "White Australia policy", which was consolidated and enabled by the Immigration Restriction Act 1901.

Although they were not the prime targets of the policy, it was not until after World War II that large numbers of southern European and eastern European immigrants were admitted for the first time. Following this, the White Australia Policy was relaxed in stages.

As at the 2016 census, it was estimated by the Australian Human Rights Commission that around 58% of the Australian population were Anglo-Celtic Australians with 18% being of other European origins, a total of 76% for European ancestries as a whole. The 2021 Australian census form does not use the term "white".

New Zealand

See also: White New Zealanders

Racial groups in New Zealand (2023 census)

1. Whites (67.8%)
2. Other groups (32.2%)

The establishment of British colonies in Australia from 1788 and the boom in whaling and sealing in the Southern Ocean brought many Europeans to the vicinity of New Zealand. Early visitors to New Zealand included whalers, sealers, missionaries, mariners, and merchants.

In the 1870s, MP Julius Vogel borrowed millions of pounds from Britain to help fund capital development such as a nationwide rail system, lighthouses, ports, and bridges, and encouraged mass migration from Britain. By 1870 the non-Māori population reached over 250,000.

The 2023 New Zealand census form doesn't use the term "white", referring to European New Zealanders instead.

Europe

France

White people in France are a broad racial-based, or skin color-based, social category in French society.

In statistical terms, the French government banned the collection of racial or ethnic information in 1978, and the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), therefore, does not provide census data on White residents or citizens in France.

Republic of Ireland

Racial groups in Ireland (2022 census)

1. Whites (87.4%)
2. Other groups (12.6%)

According to the 2022 Irish census, 4,444,145 or 87.4% of the total population declared their race as "White Irish" and Other White, this was a decline from 92.4% in (/wiki/2016_census_of_Ireland) and 94.24% in (/wiki/2011_census_of_Ireland).

Malta

As of the 2021 census, 89.1% self-identified as white racial origin. Maltese-born natives make up the majority of the island with 386,280 people out of a total population of 519,562.

Portugal

According to a INE Statistics Portugal study ‘Pilot Survey on Living Conditions, Origins, and Trajectories of the Resident Population’ conducted in 2023, 6.4 million people aged between 18 and 74 years old identified themselves as White (84.1%).

United Kingdom

See also: Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom, Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom, White British, Other White, White Irish, White Polish, and White Gypsy or Irish Traveller

Historical White identities

Racial groups in the United Kingdom (2021 census)

1. Whites (83.0%)
2. Other groups (16.9%)

Before the Industrial Revolutions in Europe, whiteness may have been associated with social status.

North America

Bermuda (U.K.)

Main article: White Bermudians

At the 2016 census the number of Bermudians who identify as white was 19,466 or 31 percent of the total population.

Canada

See also: European Canadians and Canadian ethnicity

Racial groups in Canada (2021 census)

1. Whites (67.4%)
2. Other groups (32.6%)

Of the over 36 million Canadians enumerated in 2021 approximately 24 million reported being "White", representing 67.4 percent of the population.

United States

Main article: White Americans

See also: Definitions of whiteness in the United States and European Americans

Racial groups in the United States (2020 census)

1. Whites (61.6%)
2. Other groups (38.4%)

White Americans made up nearly 90% of the population in 1950. A report from the Pew Research Center in 2008 projects that by 2050, non-Hispanic White Americans will make up 47% of the population, down from 67% projected in 2005.

South America

Argentina

Main article: White Argentines

Argentina, along with other areas of new settlement like Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the United States or Uruguay, is considered a country of immigrants where the vast majority originated from Europe.

Brazil

Main article: White Brazilians

Racial groups in Brazil (2022 census)

1. Whites (43.5%)
2. Other groups (56.5%)

Recent censuses in Brazil are conducted on the basis of self-identification. According to the 2022 Census, they totaled 88,252,121 people and made up 43.5% of the Brazilian population.

Chile

Main article: White Chileans

Scholarly estimates of the White population in Chile vary dramatically, ranging from 20% to 52%.

Colombia

Main article: White Colombians

The Colombian government does not carry out official racial censuses, nor does it carry out self-identification racial censuses as is the case in Argentina, so the figures shown are usually based on data from populations considered "non-ethnic", which are those (Whites and Mestizos).

Ecuador

Main article: Demographics of Ecuador

Racial groups in Ecuador (2022 census)

1. Whites (2.21%)
2. Other groups (97.8%)

According to the most-recent 2022 national census, 2.2% of Ecuadorians self-identified as European Ecuadorian, a decrease from 6.1% in 2010.

Guyana

Main article: Demographics of Guyana

In 2016, 0.3% of Guyana were of European descent, predominantly Portuguese Guyanese.

Paraguay

Main article: White Paraguayans

Peru

Main article: White Peruvians

Racial groups in Peru (2017 census)

1. Whites (5.89%)
2. Other groups (94.1%)

According to the (/wiki/2017_Peru_Census) census 5.9% or 1.3 million (1,336,931) people 12 years of age and above self-identified as White.

Suriname

Main article: White Surinamese

In 2012, there were 1,667 or 0.3% of the population identified as white. Many Dutch settlers left Suriname after independence in 1975, and this diminished Suriname's Dutch population. Currently there are around 1,000 boeroes left in Suriname, and 3,000 outside Suriname.

Uruguay

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

Racial groups in Uruguay (2011 census)

1. Whites (87.7%)
2. Other groups (12.3%)

Different estimates state that Uruguay's population of 3.4 million is composed of 88% to 93% White Uruguayans.

Venezuela

Main article: White Venezuelans

According to the official Venezuelan census, the term "White" involves external issues such as light skin, shape, and color of hair and eyes, among other factors. The 2011 Venezuelan Census states that "White" in Venezuela is used to describe Venezuelans of European origin. The 2011 National Population and Housing Census states that 43.6% of the Venezuelan population (approx. 13.1 million people) identify as White. Genetic research by the University of Brasília shows an average admixture of 60.6% European, 23.0% Amerindian and 16.3% African ancestry in Venezuelan populations.