Ethnolinguistic map of ChinaChina's Autonomous Regions and its Designated Ethnic Minority
TheHan Chinese are the largest ethnic group inMainland China. In 2010, 91.51% of the population were classified as Han Chinese (~1.2 billion).[1][needs update] Besides theHan Chinese majority, 55 other ethnic (minority) groups are categorized in present-day China, numbering approximately 105 million people (8%), mostly concentrated in the bordering northwest, north, northeast, south and southwest but with some in central interior areas.
Officially recognized ethnic groups receive or have received certain benefits over Han Chinese under theregional ethnic autonomy system, includingaffirmative action, exemptions from theone-child policy, designated seats in political organs and government support to preserve their culture. Ethnic minorityautonomous areas receive additional state subsidies.[3][4] Languages of officially recognized minorities are used in official government documents.[5][non-primary source needed]
^For ethnic groups officially recognised in 1964 or earlier, this is the year of first inclusion in the national census, which were in 1954[8] and 1964.[9]
^Also includesUtsuls of Hainan, descended fromCham refugees.
^One subset of which is also known asHmong and other includeHmu,Xong andA-Hmao. Some of the related languages and groups of peoples are not necessarily classified under the Miao umbrella, which makes this term somewhat vague.
^IncludingAmdowa andKhampa, as well as roughly half ofPumi speakers, the remainder of whom are classified as a separatePumi ethnicity.
^This category includes several different Tai-speaking groups historically referred to asBai-yi. In fact, theDai nationality consists of speakers of varieties ofShan languages. For instance, theTai Lue andTai Nuea peoples are actually subgroups of theShan people. Despite this, speakers ofBumang are also included in theDai nationality.
Hong Kong andMacau arespecial administrative regions withinChina. The governments of Hong Kong and Macau do not use the official PRC ethnic classification system, nor does the PRC's official classification system take ethnic groups in Hong Kong and Macau into account. Minority groups such as Western Europeans (mainly English and Portuguese), and Southern or Southeastern Asians (mainly Filipinos, Indians, Indonesians, Nepalese, and Pakistanis) live in Hong Kong.[14] Macau's main ethnic groups are of Chinese and Portuguese descent, but other ethnicities also live in the territory.[15]
^胡鸿保; 张丽梅 (2009).民族识别原则的变化与民族人口 [Changes in Ethnic Identification Principles and Ethnic Population].Southwest University for Nationalities University Press (in Chinese) (4).