In China's 56 ethnic groups, which is the smallest one?

Published : 2024-11-19

Editor︰Noh

China is a multi-ethnic country with a total of 56 ethnic groups, and Han is the main ethnic group in China.

How large is the Han population? Which is the smallest ethnic minority group? Which celebrities are from ethnic minorities?

Han people accounts for 91% of Chinese population

The picture shows the tourist crowd in the ancient town of Pingyao, Shanxi. — The Han people has thousands of years of history, and the name "Han" began during the powerful Han Dynasty. (Web Image)

China's population of more than 1.4 billion people encompasses 56 ethnic groups, collectively referred to as the Chinese nation.

Among them, the long-established Han (漢族) is the main ethnic group, accounting for over 91% of the total population, exceeding 1.28 billion people.

Even without counting Han people living in other countries, the Han is still the largest ethnic group in the world, comparable to the combined populations of the third to seventh most populous countries (the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil).

The picture shows Han children in Zhejiang performing a dragon dance. — Han people live all over the country, and the language of Han Chinese is also used nationwide. (Image Source: VCG)

India's population has surpassed that of China, but its largest ethnic group, the Hindustani, accounts for only about 46% of the total population, which is far fewer in number compared to the Han ethnicity.

Han people live all over China, including areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. Naturally, the proportion of Han population is lower in ethnic minority regions, for example, in the Xizang (previously known as "Tibet") Autonomous Region, where the Han population is less than 10%.

Largest minority group: Zhuang

As for the other 55 ethnic minorities in China, they are more concentrated in the western regions of China.

Guangxi has the largest ethnic minority population, while Yunnan has the most diverse ethnic groups, with 25 ethnic groups living there.

The Zhuang nationality is the largest ethnic minority in China, with approximately 17 million people, more than many European countries.

Li Ning lit the main torch at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. — Li Ning, the iconic Chinese athlete and also a Zhuang ethnic member, was the person who lit the main torch at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (Web Image)

The Zhuang mainly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and they are also distributed in the provinces of Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

Former gymnast Li Ning (李寧), the "Prince of Gymnastics", who had won three Olympic gold medals and later founded his own sports brand "Li Ning", is a Zhuang ethnic member from Guangxi.

Veteran Taiwanese singer Zhao Chuan (趙傳) is also from the Zhuang ethnicity.

Kara Wai is related to Empress Dowager Cixi?

The picture shows a Uyghur instrument maker in Xinjiang, crafting a traditional musical instrument, the dutar. — The Uyghur people are the 3rd largest ethnic group in China, primarily living in Xinjiang. (Image Source: VCG)

In addition, the populations of other ethnic minorities, such as Mongol, Hui, Tibetan, Uyghur, Miao, Yi, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazakh, Dai, and Li, range from one million to over ten million.

Chinese actress Jiang Xin (蔣欣), who played "Concubine Hua" in TV drama Empresses in the Palace (甄嬛傳), is of Hui ethnicity; Chinese actor Wu Jing (吳京) who played in sci-fi movie The Wandering Earth is from Manchu ethic group;

Chinese star Dilraba Dilmurat (迪麗熱巴) is Uyghur; and Chinese singer Tengger (騰格爾) is Mongolian.

Hong Kong actress Kara Wai (惠英紅) is Manchu; the Manchu people have highly integrated with the Han people. (Image Source: VCG)

As for the Korean ethnic group in China, they are the same ethnic group as those in South Korea and North Korea, with generally the same language and similar customs.

Many ancestors of the Korean ethnic group migrated from the Korean Peninsula to the northeast of China from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.

Chinese singer Cui Jian (崔健), known as the "Father of Chinese Rock", is a member of the Korean ethnic group.

Are there these minorities in Hong Kong? Yes, the award-winning actress Kara Wai (惠英紅) is Manchu, with the surname Yehonala, sharing the same ancestor as Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Hong Kong actress Kathy Chow (周海媚) and Rosamund Kwan (關之琳) are also Manchu.

Does China also have Caucasian ethnic groups?

The picture shows the Sabantuy festival activities of the Tatars in Daqiuren, Qitai County, Xinjiang. — Though the Tatar population is small, their traditional festival Sabantuy has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. (Web Image)

As for the ethnic group with the smallest population in China, it is the Tatars (塔塔爾族) living in the northern part of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, followed by the Lhuoba ethnic group living near the China-India border in Xizang.

Their populations in 2021 were only over 3,500 and 4,200 respectively, not much more than the residents of a public housing building in Hong Kong.

The picture shows Russians in Xinjiang. — Currently, there are only over 10,000 Russians in China. (Web Image)

Lastly, it should be mentioned that although most of the 56 ethnic groups in China are yellow race, there are some of the Caucasian.

For example, the Russian ethnic group, who are mainly descendants of Russians who migrated to China in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, now mostly live in northern Xinjiang, eastern Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang.

Another often mentioned Caucasian ethnic group is the Tajik, who mainly reside in Tashkurgan in the far west of Xinjiang.