List of ethnic groups in Myanmar

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An ethnolinguistic map of Burma (note: A number of ethnic minorities are not acknowledged on this map including the Rakhine who make up 3.5 percent of the population).

Myanmar (also known as Burma) is an ethnically diverse nation with 135 distinct ethnic groups officially recognised by the Burmese Government. These are grouped into eight "major national ethnic races":

  1. Burman
  2. Chin
  3. Kachin
  4. Karen
  5. Kayah
  6. Mon
  7. Arakanese
  8. Shan[1]

The "major national ethnic races" are grouped primarily according to region rather than linguistic or ethnic affiliation, as for example the Shan Major National Ethnic Race includes 33 ethnic groups speaking languages in at least four widely differing language families.[2]

Many unrecognised ethnic groups exist, the largest being the Burmese Chinese and Panthay (who together form 3% of the population), Burmese Indians (who form 2% of the population), Anglo-Burmese and Gurkha. There are no official statistics regarding the population of the latter two groups, although unofficial estimates place around 52,000 Anglo-Burmese in Burma with around 1.6 million outside the country.

Ethnic Composition in Myanmar (Rough Estimate)
Burman
 
 68.00%
Shan
 
 9.00%
Karen
 
 7.00%
Rakhine
 
 1.7%
Chinese
 
 2.50%
Mon
 
 2.00%
Kachin
 
 1.50%
Indians
 
 1.25%
Kayah
 
 1.83%
Other groups including
Wa, Naga, Lahu, Lisu and Palaung
 
 4.50%

Officially recognized ethnic groups[]

Note: The list is very controversial. Many of the names and spelling variants are known only from this list.[3][4]

Kachin comprises 12 different ethnic groups
1. Kachin see: Jingpo people
2. Tarone see: Taron people
3. Dalaung, unknown[5]
4. Jinghpaw see: Singpho people
5. Guari, unknown[5]
6. Hkahku see: Jingpo people
7. Duleng, unknown[5]
8. Maru (Lawgore)
9. Rawang see Nung Rawang
10. Lashi (La Chit)
11. Atsi see Zaiwa language
12. Lisu
Kayah comprises 9 different ethnic groups

Note, a known questionable source.[6]

13. Kayah (Karenni)
14. Zayein (Lahta; Gaungto; Loilong Karens)
15. Ka-Yun (Kayan; Padaung)
16. Gheko (Karen, Geko)
17. Kebar, maybe translation error for Geba Karen language
18. Bre (Ka-Yaw; Kayaw)
19. Manu Manaw (Manumanaw)
20. , maybe Yintale
21. Yin Baw (Yinbaw)
Kayin comprises 11 different ethnic groups
22. Karen (Kayin)
23. (Geba Karen)
24. , maybe Mobwa
25. (Sarpyu), unknown[5]
26. Sgaw (Karen, S’gaw)
27. , unknown[5]
28. Paku (Karen, Paku)
29. Bwe (Bwe Karen)
30. (Karen, Paku)
31. , unknown[5]
32. Shu (Pwo Kayin)
Chin comprises 53 different ethnic groups

Possibly originally a list of tax rate districts. With the highest tax first.

33. Chin
34. Meithei (Meitei; Kathe)
35.
36. Ka-Lin-Kaw (Lushay)
37. (Khami)
38. Mro-Khimi people
39.
40.
41.
42. (Khualsim)
43. (Sim)
44. (Lyente; Falam)
45. Gwete (Guite)
46. (Chin, Ngawn)
47. , (Sizang)[5]
48.
49.
50. (Zahau)
51. Zotung
52. Zo-Pe
53. Zo
54. (Zanniet)
55. Tapong
56. Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
57.
58. Taishon (Tashon)
59. Thado
60. (Tawr)
61. Dim
62. Dai (Yindu)
63. Naga
64. Tangkhul
65.
66.
67.
68.
69. Miram (Mara, Shendu, Lakher, etc.)
70.
71. Mgan
72. Lushei (Lushay)
73.
74.
75. Lautu
76. Lai (Haka Chin)
77.
78. Mro (Wakim)
79. Hualngo
80.
81.
82. Oo-Pu
83.
84. Asho (Plain)
85. Rongtu
Burman comprises 9 ethnic groups
86. Burman (Bamar)
87. of Dawei city
88.
89. Yaw
90.
91. (Kado)
92.
93. Salone (Salon; Moken)
94. Hpon
Mon comprises 1 ethnic group
95. Mon
Rakhine comprises 7 ethnic groups
96. Rakhine (Arakanese)
97. Kamein
98. Khami
99. Daingnet
100. Maramagyi
101. Mro people (Awa Khami)
102.
Shan comprises 33 ethnic groups
103. Shan (Tai)
104. (Lao)
105.
106. Pyin
107. Yao (Hmong; Mien)
108. (Danau)
109.
110. (En)
111.
112. Khamu (Khmu)
113. Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw)
114. Kokant (Kokang)
115. Khamti Shan
116. (Khün)
117. Taungyo
118. Danu
119. Palaung
120.
121. Yin Kya
122. Yin Net
123.
124.
125. Lahu
126. Intha
127.
128. Pa-O (Taungthu; Black Karen)
129. Tai-Loi
130. (Red Shan)
131.
132.
133. Maingtha (Achang)
134.
135. Wa (Va)

List grouped by language family[]

Sino-Tibetan[]

  • Chinese
    • Kokang (Mandarin Chinese dialect; sometimes spelled Kokant)
  • Tibeto-Burman
    • Burman (Bamar)
    • Asho (Plain)
    • Atsi
    • Bwe
    • Chin
    • Daignet people
    • Danu
    • Dim
    • Gheko
    • Gunte (Lyente)
    • Hpon
    • Intha
    • Kachin (Jingpo)
    • (Kado)
    • Karen (Kayin)
    • Kaw (Akha-E-Kaw, Akha)
    • (Geba Karen)
    • Khams Tibetan
    • Lahu
  • Lai (Haka Chin)
  • Laizo
  • Lashi (La Chit)
  • Lisu
  • Maingtha
  • Marma
  • Maru (Lawgore)
  • Meitei (also spelled Meithei or Kathe)
  • Miram (Mara)
  • Mro (Wakim)
  • Naga
  • Pa-O
  • Pyin
  • Rakhine (Arakanese)
  • Rawang
  • Sgaw
  • Shu (Pwo)
  • Taron
  • Taungyo
  • Tiddim (Hai-Dim)
  • Torr (also spelled Tawr)
  • Yaw
  • Zo
  • Zophei
  • Zotung

Tai–Kadai[]

  • Tai
    • Shan
    • (also spelled Khün)
    • Khamti Shan
    • Thai

Hmong–Mien[]

  • Yao

Austroasiatic[]

  • Mon–Khmer
    • Mon
    • (also spelled Danau)
    • Khmu (Khamu)
    • Tai-Loi
    • Wa (Va)
    • Palaung

Austronesian[]

Indo-European[]

Unrecognised ethnic groups[]

The Government of Myanmar (Burma) does not recognise several ethnic groups as being among the list of 135 officially recognised ethnic groups:

Language ISO 639-3 codes[9][]

Note: This is a list of is languages, and the name of a language are not always the same as the name of an ethnic group.

  1. Achang [acn]
  2. Akeu [aeu]
  3. Akha [ahk]
  4. Anal [anm]
  5. Anong [nun]
  6. Blang [blr]
  7. Burmese [mya]
  8. Chak [ckh]
  9. Chakma [ccp]
  10. Chin:
  11. Chinese:
    • Chinese, Mandarin [cmn]
  12. Danau [dnu]
  13. Danu [dnv]
  14. Drung [duu]
  15. Hmong Njua [hnj]
  16. Hpon [hpo]
  17. Intha [int]
  18. Jingpho [kac]
  19. Kadu [zkd]
  20. Kanan [zkn]
  21. Karen:
  22. Kayah:
  23. Kedah Malay [meo]
  24. Kayan [pdu]
  25. Kayaw [kvl]
  26. Khamti [kht]
  27. Khün [kkh]
  28. Lahta [kvt]
  29. Lahu [lhu]
  30. Lahu Shi [lhi]
  31. Lashi [lsi]
  32. Lhao Vo [mhx]
  33. Lisu [lis]
  34. Lü [khb]
  35. Manumanaw [kxf]
  36. Moken [mwt]
  37. Mon [mnw]
  38. Mru [mro]
  39. Naga:
  40. Nusu [nuf]
  41. Palaung:
  42. Pali [pli]
  43. Pa’o [blk]
  44. Pyen [pyy]
  45. Rakhine [rki]
  46. Rawang [raw]
  47. Riang [ril]
  48. Samtao [stu]
  49. Shan [shn]
  50. Tai Laing [tjl]
  51. Tai Loi [tlq]
  52. Tai Nüa [tdd]
  53. Taman [tcl]
  54. Taungyo [tobacco]
  55. Tavoyan [tvn]
  56. Tibetan:
    • Tibetan, Khams [khg]
  57. Wa:
  58. Wewaw [wea]
  59. Yinbaw [kvu]
  60. Yinchia [yin]
  61. Yintale [yin]
  62. Zaiwa [atb]
  63. Zayein [kxk]
  64. Zo [zom]

Thaungtha is similar with rabain

References[]

  1. ^ Retrieved from Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism webpage at Archived 20 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) For example, the Shan speak a Tai–Kadai language, the Lahu speak a Tibeto-Burman language, the Khamu speak a Mon–Khmer language, and the Yao speak a Hmong–Mien language.
  3. ^ Gamanii (25 September 2012). "135: Counting Races in Burma". Shan Herald. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  4. ^ Composition of the Different Ethnic Groups
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Ethnologue
  6. ^ The source of this list is the 9 captions from an unscientific Italian book, therefore Italian spelling. I Ghekhù : tribu criana della Birmania orientale. Paolo Manna. 1902. Milano.
  7. ^ Mullins, Jeremy; Aye, Mon Mon (30 March 2014). "Panthay Muslims protect their name". Myanmar Times.
  8. ^ Tracing an Indian Diaspora: Contexts, Memories, Representations - Google Books
  9. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/country/MM/languages Ethnologue: Myanmar

External links[]

Books[]

  • U Min Naing, National Ethnic Groups of Myanmar (Trans. by Hpone Thant).

Yangon: Thein Myint Win Press, 2000.

  • "National Races of Myanmar" (1960) by the Ministry of Culture
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