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How many ethnic minorities are there?

2025-10-09 01:47:36 travel

How many ethnic minorities are there in China? Discover multicultural treasures

China is a multi-ethnic country with rich and colorful culture and history. According to official statistics, China has a total of56 ethnic groups, among which the Han nationality is the main ethnic group and the other 55 are ethnic minorities. These ethnic minorities have their own characteristics in language, clothing, customs and traditions, and together they constitute the multicultural picture of the Chinese nation. Below is detailed data and analysis on China’s ethnic minorities.

1. Population distribution of ethnic minorities in China

How many ethnic minorities are there?

According to the latest census data, the total population of ethnic minorities in China is approximately 125 million, accounting for 8.89% of the total population. The following are the 10 most populous ethnic minorities and their population data:

RankingnationalityPopulation (10,000)Main distribution areas
1Zhuang1956Guangxi, Yunnan
2Hui1138Ningxia, Gansu, Henan
3Manchu1042Liaoning, Heilongjiang
4Uighur1006Xinjiang
5Miao942Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan
6Yi nationality871Sichuan, Yunnan
7Tujia835Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou
8Tibetan628Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan
9Mongolian598Inner Mongolia, Liaoning
10Dong people287Guizhou, Hunan

2. Languages ​​and scripts of ethnic minorities

China has a wide variety of ethnic minority languages, and some ethnic groups have their own writing systems. The following is the language and writing situation of some ethnic minorities:

nationalitylanguage familyIs there textrepresentative text
UighurTurkic language familyyesArabic alphabet Uyghur
TibetanSino-Tibetan language familyyesTibetan
MongolianMongolian language familyyesTraditional Mongolian, Cyrillic Mongolian
ZhuangZhuang-Dong language familyyesZhuang (Latin alphabet)
Yi nationalitySino-Tibetan language familyyesYi

3. Traditional festivals and customs of ethnic minorities

Each ethnic minority has unique festivals and customs. Here are several famous ethnic minority festivals:

  • Songkran Festival: The traditional festival of the Dai people symbolizes washing away bad luck and welcoming the new year.
  • Naadam Conference: A grand gathering of the Mongolian people, featuring horse racing, wrestling, and archery.
  • Torch Festival: A festival held by the Yi, Bai and other southwest ethnic minorities. They light torches at night to pray for a good harvest.
  • Tibetan New Year: The most important festival for Tibetan people, family reunions and religious ceremonies are held.

4. Economic and social development of ethnic minorities

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of ethnic minority areas and has implemented a series of support policies, including investment in education, medical care, infrastructure and other fields. The following is the economic data of some ethnic minority autonomous regions:

autonomous regionGDP (100 million yuan)Main industries
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region17741Energy, agriculture, tourism
Tibet Autonomous Region2080Tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region20514Coal, animal husbandry, rare earths
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region24740Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism

5. Summary

China's 55 ethnic minorities are an important part of Chinese culture. Their rich history, language and traditions have added unique charm to the Chinese nation. With the support of national policies, the development prospects of ethnic minority areas are broad, and diverse cultures will continue to shine on the land of China.

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