Top 10 Largest Ethnic Groups in the World

Here is an approximate ranking of the largest ethnic groups in the world by percentage of the global population:


1. Han Chinese

  • Percentage: ~18%
  • Population: Approximately 1.4 billion
  • Location: Primarily in China, Taiwan, and significant populations across Southeast Asia and Western countries.

2. Indian Ethnic Groups

  • Percentage: ~17.5%
  • Population: Approximately 1.4 billion (including various ethnicities like Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, etc.)
  • Location: India, with diaspora populations worldwide.

3. European (General)

  • Percentage: ~15%
  • Population: Approximately 1.1 billion (includes various European ethnicities, such as Germanic, Slavic, and Romance-speaking groups)
  • Location: Primarily in Europe, North America, Australia, and other regions.

4. African (General)

  • Percentage: ~15%
  • Population: Around 1.2 billion, consisting of numerous ethnic groups (e.g., Yoruba, Amhara, Zulu, etc.)
  • Location: Primarily in Africa, with significant diaspora populations in the Americas and Europe.

5. Latino / Hispanic

  • Percentage: ~8%
  • Population: Approximately 650 million (includes people of various backgrounds in Latin America and beyond)
  • Location: Primarily in Latin America, with large populations in the U.S. and other parts of the world.

6. Arab

  • Percentage: ~5%
  • Population: Approximately 430 million
  • Location: Primarily in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a substantial diaspora worldwide.

7. Bengali

  • Percentage: ~4.5%
  • Population: Approximately 380 million
  • Location: Predominantly in Bangladesh and parts of India (West Bengal), with diaspora populations in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

8. Russian

  • Percentage: ~3.5%
  • Population: Approximately 280 million
  • Location: Primarily in Russia, with significant populations in former Soviet states and other countries.

9. Japanese

  • Percentage: ~1.5%
  • Population: Approximately 125 million
  • Location: Primarily in Japan, with smaller communities worldwide.

10. Malay (Southeast Asian)

  • Percentage: ~1.3%
  • Population: Approximately 105 million
  • Location: Predominantly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.

This ranking can vary based on the criteria used (e.g., linguistic vs. cultural definitions of ethnicity) and population changes. The percentages are rounded and approximate due to the complexity of ethnicity definitions and lack of precise data on global ethnic distributions.



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