Ethnic Groups
Specialists are largely in agreement as to the ethnolinguistic classification of the ethnic groups of Laos. For the purposes of the 1995 census, the government of Laos recognized 149 ethnic groups within 47 main ethnicities. whereas the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) recently revised the list to include 49 ethnicities consisting of over 160 ethnic groups. The term ethnic minorities is used by some to classify the non-Lao ethnic groups, while the term indigenous peoples is not used by the Lao PDR. These 160 ethnic groups speak a total of 82 distinct living languages.
Lao 55%, Khmu 11%, Hmong 8%, Vietnamese 2%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census).
| Ethnic group |
Language family |
census 1995 | census 2005 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Lao | Tai-Kadai | 2,403,891 | 52.5 | 3,067,005 | 54.6 |
| Khmu | Mon-Khmer | 500,957 | 11.0 | 613,893 | 10.9 |
| Hmong | Hmong-Mien | 315,465 | 6.9 | 415,946 | 8.0 |
| Thai | Tai-Kadai | 215,254 | 3.8 | ||
| Puthai | Tai-Kadai | 472,458 | 10.3 | 187,391 | 3.3 |
| Lü | Tai-Kadai | 119,191 | 2.6 | 123,054 | 2.2 |
| Katang | Mon-Khmer | 95,440 | 2.1 | 118,276 | 2.1 |
| Makong | Mon-Khmer | 92,321 | 2.0 | 117,872 | 2.1 |
| Akha (Kor) | Tibeto-Burman | 66,108 | 1.4 | 90,698 | 1.6 |
| Xuay | 45,498 | 1.0 | 42,834 | 0.8 | |
| Singsily | 37,447 | 0.7 | |||
| Taoey | Mon-Khmer | 30,876 | 0.7 | 32,177 | 0.6 |
| Nhuane | 26,239 | 0.6 | 29,442 | 0.5 | |
| Iewmien (Yao) | Hmong-Mien | 22,665 | 0.5 | 27,449 | 0.5 |
| Phong | Mon-Khmer | 21,395 | 0.5 | 26,314 | 0.5 |
| Brao (Lavae) | Mon-Khmer | 17,544 | 0.4 | 22,772 | 0.4 |
| Katu | Mon-Khmer | 17,024 | 0.4 | 22,759 | 0.4 |
| Oey | Mon-Khmer | 14,947 | 0.3 | 22,458 | 0.4 |
| Pray | Mon-Khmer | 15,000 | 0.3 | 21,922 | 0.4 |
| Lamed | Mon-Khmer | 16,740 | 0.3 | 19,827 | 0.4 |
| Lahu (Musir) | Tibeto-Burman | 8,702 | 0.2 | 15,238 | 0.3 |
| Thaneua | Tai-Kadai | 14,799 | 0.3 | ||
| Kriang (Ngae) | Mon-Khmer | 12,189 | 0.3 | 12,879 | 0.2 |
| Hor | 8,900 | 0.2 | 10,437 | 0.2 | |
| Xingmoon (Puoc) | Mon-Khmer | 5,834 | 0.1 | 8,565 | 0.2 |
| Jeng | Mon-Khmer | 6,511 | 0.1 | 7,559 | 0.1 |
| Nhahem | 5,152 | 0.1 | 6,785 | 0.1 | |
| Kmer | 3,902 | 0.1 | 5,825 | 0.1 | |
| Toum (Hung) | Mon-Khmer | 2,510 | 0.05 | 4,458 | 0.08 |
| Xaek | Tai-Kadai | 2,745 | 0.06 | 3.733 | 0.07 |
| Samtao | Mon-Khmer | 2,213 | 0.05 | 3,533 | 0.06 |
| Sila (Sida) | Tibeto-Burman | 1,772 | 0.04 | 2,939 | 0.05 |
| Tri | 20,906 | 0.5 | 2.668 | 0.05 | |
| Harak | 2,128 | 0.04 | |||
| Bid | Mon-Khmer | 1,509 | 0.03 | 1,691 | 0.03 |
| Lolo | Tibeto-Burman | 1,407 | 0.03 | 1,691 | 0.03 |
| Pako | Mon-Khmer | 13,224 | 0.3 | 1,675 | 0.03 |
| Lavy | Mon-Khmer | 538 | 0.01 | 1,193 | 0.02 |
| Yae | Mon-Khmer | 8,013 | 0.2 | 1,057 | 0.02 |
| Sadang | Mon-Khmer | 786 | 0.02 | 938 | 0.02 |
| Hanyi | Tibeto-Burman | 1,122 | 0.02 | 848 | 0.02 |
| Nguane | 1,344 | 0.03 | 722 | 0.01 | |
| Oedou | Mon-Khmer | 649 | 0.01 | ||
| Yang | 4,630 | 0.1 | 616 | 0.01 | |
| Moy | 534 | 0.01 | |||
| Thin (Mal) | Mon-Khmer | 23,193 | 0.51 | 514 | 0.01 |
| Kree | 739 | 0.02 | 495 | 0.01 | |
| Laven | Mon-Khmer | 40,519 | 0.9 | ||
| Phounoy | Tibeto-Burman | 35,635 | 0.8 | ||
| Talieng | Mon-Khmer | 23,091 | 0.5 | ||
| Alack | Mon-Khmer | 16,594 | 0.4 | ||
| Kui | Mon-Khmer | 6,268 | 0.1 | ||
| Khir | 1,639 | 0.04 | |||
| Mone | 217 | 0.00 | |||
| Others & not stated | 19,285 | 0.4 | 216,780 | 3.9 | |
| Total | 4,574,848 | 5,621,982 | |||
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Laos
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