Genetik
Genetik/Peoples/Chinese people

Chinese people

Китайцы · Q6501380

language area per Glottologcensus counts
6,892,367
Malaysia, census 2020 (national and/or ethnic group, UN)
18,135,094
sum of censuses in 32 countries, 2001-2023
Sino-Tibetan
language family (Glottolog)

In brief

The largest documented number lives in Malaysia: 6,892,367 people in the 2020 census.

Official figures exist for 32 countries; together they add up to 18,135,094. This is not an estimate of the world total: the censuses were held in different years (2001-2023) and define belonging differently, and countries without such data are not counted.

In Russia's 2020 census (reference date 1 October 2021), 19,644 people identified with the nationality "Китайцы" (Chinese people)1. That is 0.02% of the 130,587,364 residents who stated a nationality.

Rosstat also assigns 9 other self-designations to this nationality (listed in Russian in the source table).

Main language: Mandarin Chinese. Glottolog classifies it in the Sino-Tibetan family.

Where they live: census figures

Each figure comes from the country's official census. Censuses define belonging differently (self-identification, citizenship, mother tongue, ancestry); the type is given on each row.

Malaysia2020 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [2]
6,892,367
Hong Kong2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [3]
6,819,690
Singapore2020 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · resident population (Singapore citizens and permanent residents) · [4]
3,006,769
Macao2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [5]
609,863
United Kingdom2011 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [6]
433,150
Thailand2010 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [7]
141,649
Philippines2020 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [8]
106,828
Brunei Darussalam2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [9]
42,132
Ireland2022 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [10]
26,828
Russia2021 · ethnicity / nationality · «Китайцы» · [1]
19,644
Suriname2004 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [11]
8,775
Jamaica2011 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [12]
5,231
Trinidad and Tobago2011 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [13]
4,003
Pakistan2023 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [14]
3,568
Kazakhstan2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [15]
3,077
Guam2010 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [16]
2,617
Ukraine2001 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [17]
2,213
Mozambique2017 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [18]
1,746
Belize2022 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [19]
1,660
Aruba2010 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [20]
880
American Samoa2020 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [21]
680
Estonia2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [22]
427
Palau2005 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [23]
317
Saint Kitts and Nevis2022 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [24]
317
Latvia2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [25]
265
Antigua and Barbuda2011 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [26]
143
Lithuania2021 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [27]
97
Saint Lucia2001 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [28]
81
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2001 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [29]
37
Virgin Islands, British2010 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [30]
19
Grenada2011 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [31]
16
Mongolia2020 · national and/or ethnic group, UN · «Chinese» · [32]
5
Sum across 32 countries18,135,094

In detail: Russia, 2021 census

Sex, urban and rural, Russian regions

Sex

Men 14,790 · 75.3%Women 4,854 · 24.7%

Urban and rural

Urban 15,731 · 80.1%Rural 3,913 · 19.9%

Where: the 10 regions with the largest numbers

Source [1]: Rosstat, 2020 census, vol. 5, table 1

Languages and their lineage

Mandarin Chinese

  1. Sino-Tibetansino1245
  2. Siniticsini1245
  3. Classical-Middle-Modern Siniticclas1255
  4. Middle-Modern Siniticmidd1354
  5. Northern Chinesenort3155
  6. Mandarinicmand1471
  7. Mandarin Chinesemand1415

People-to-language links: Wikidata (properties P103 and P2936), checked against ISO 639-3 codes. Language classification: Glottolog 5.3.

Sources

  1. Rosstat. National composition of the population of the Russian Federation. Results of the 2020 All-Russian Population Census (reference date 1 October 2021), vol. 5, table 1. Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx (archived copy)
  2. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Malaysia, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  3. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. China, Hong Kong SAR, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  4. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Singapore, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  5. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. China, Macao SAR, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  6. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  7. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Thailand, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  8. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Philippines, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  9. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Brunei Darussalam, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  10. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Ireland, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  11. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Suriname, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  12. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Jamaica, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  13. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Trinidad and Tobago, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  14. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Pakistan, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  15. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Kazakhstan, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  16. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Guam, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  17. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Ukraine, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  18. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Mozambique, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  19. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Belize, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  20. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Aruba, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  21. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. American Samoa, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  22. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Estonia, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  23. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Palau, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  24. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  25. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Latvia, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  26. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Antigua and Barbuda, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  27. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Lithuania, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  28. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Saint Lucia, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  29. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  30. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. British Virgin Islands, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  31. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Grenada, Census - de facto - complete tabulation, Provisional figure. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  32. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Demographic Yearbook, table 26: Population by national and/or ethnic group. Mongolia, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. https://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a26%3bsexCode%3a0%3bareaCode%3a0%3bcountr…
  33. Hammarström H., Forkel R., Haspelmath M., Bank S. (2026). Glottolog 5.3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. glottolog.org (CC BY 4.0)