Skip to main content

Chinese Ethnic Groups: Overview Statistics

Chinese Ethnic Groups

Introducation

China serves as home to 56 official ethnic groups. The largest group, the Han, makes up over 92% of China's vast population, and it is the elements of Han civilization regraded as "Chinese culture". Yet, the 55 ethnic minorities, residing on the northern, southern and western frontier of China, maintain their own rich traditions and customs, and all are parts of Chinese culture.

Overview of 56 Ethnic Groups

Ethnic Groups

Population

 Major Area of Distribution
Achang 阿昌族 39,555 Yunnan
Bai 白族 1,933,510 Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan
Blang 布朗族 ​119,639 Yunnan
Bonan 保安族 20,074 Gansu
Bouyei 布依族 2,870,034 Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan
Dai 傣族 1,261,311 Yunnan
Daur 达斡尔族 131,992 Inner Mongolia, Heilongjian, Xinjiang
De'ang 德昂族 20,556  Yunnan
Derung 独龙族 6,930 Yunnan
Dong 侗族 2,879,974 Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi
Dongxiang 东乡族 621,500 Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang
Evenki 鄂温克族 30,875 Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang
Gaoshan 高山族 4,009 Taiwan (population not counted), Fujian
Gelao 仡佬族 550,746 Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan
Gin 京族 28,199 Guangxi
Han 汉族 1,220,844,520 Throughout the country
Hani 哈尼族 1,660,932 Yunnan
Hezhen 赫哲族 5,354 Heilongjiang
Hui 回族 10,586,087 Concentrated in the Northwestern provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, with communities across the country.
Jingpo 景颇族 147,828 Yunnan
Jino 基诺族 23,143 Yunnan
Kazakh 哈萨克族 1,462,588 Xinjing, Gansu, Qinghai
Korean 朝鲜族 1,830,929 Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Beijing Koreatown
Kyrgyz 柯尔克孜族 186,708 Xinjiang, Heilongjiang
Lahu 拉祜族 485,966 Yunnan
Lhoba 珞巴 3,682 Tibet
Li 黎族 1,463,064 Hainan
Lisu  傈僳族 702,839 Yunnan, Sichuan
Manchu滿族 10,387,958 Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Beijing, Inner Mongolia
Maonan 毛南族 101,192 Guangxi
Miao 苗族 9,426,007 Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hainan, Hubei, Guangdong
Mongba 门巴族 10,561 Tibet
Mongol 蒙古族 5,981,849 Inner Mongolia,Liaoning, Jilin, Hebei, Xinjiang, Heilongjian, Qinghai, Henan
Mulao 仫佬族 216,257 Guangxi
Nakhi 纳西族 326,295 Yunnan, Sichuan
Nu 怒族 37,523 Yunnan
Oroqen 鄂伦春族 8,659 Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang
Pumi 普米族 42,861 Yunnan
Qiang 羌族 309,576 Sichuan
Russian 俄罗斯族 15,393 Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang
Salar 撒拉族 130,607 Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang
She 畲族 708,651 Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Anhui
Sui 水族 411,847 Guizhou, Guangxi
Tajik 塔吉克族 51,069 Xinjiang
Tartar 塔塔尔族 3,556 Xinjiang
Tibetan 藏族 6,282,187 Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan
Tu 土族 289,565 Qinghai, Gansu
Tujia 土家族 8,353,912 Hunnan, Hubei, Guizhou, Chongqing
Uyghur 维吾尔族 10,069,346 Xinjiang
Uzbek 乌孜别克族 10,569 Xinjiang
Wa 佤族 429,709 Yunnan
Xibe 锡伯 190,481 Xinjiang, Liaoning, Jilin
Yao 瑶族 2,796,003 Guangxi, Hunan, Yunna, Guangdong, Guizhou
Yi 彝族 8,714,393 Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi
Yugur 裕固族 14,378 Gansu
Zhuang 壮族 16,926,381 Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan

Data taken from the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (2010)

Internet Resources

State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China

  • "The State Ethnic Affairs Commission (simplified Chinese: 国家民族事务委员会; traditional Chinese: 國家民族事務委員會; pinyin: Guójiā Mínzú Shìwù Wěiyuánhuì) is responsible for relations between the Central Government and ethnic minorities in China. It is one of several departments or commissions under the State Council of the People's Republic of China." (From Wiki)

Nationalities of China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  • This collective works by Wikipedia contributors and users contain a fairly large amount of information on the 56 Chinese ethnic groups. Under each entry by an individual group, there are geography, tradition, history and language, and other information. Note: it's open to being edited by every user.

Chinese Minority Ethnic Groups - TravelChinaGuide.com

  • This link offers detailed information on China's 56 ethnic groups including their folk customs, language, and clothing.

Ethnic Minorities - China.org.cn

  • Basic facts about each ethnic group with pictures and articles about their culture, languages and history.

 

  • Last Updated: Apr 12, 2021 10:51 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/china_ethnic