About IWGIAIndigenous peoples in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government does not use the term “indigenous peoples” for any groups, but it is generally the ethnic minorities living in the mountainous areas that are referred to as Vietnam’s indigenous peoples.
Vietnam is strategically located in the Indo-Chinese peninsula that connects the Asian mainland to Southeast Asia. As a multi-ethnic country, Vietnam has 54 recognized ethnic groups; the Kinh represent the majority, comprising 86%, and the remaining 53 are ethnic minority groups accounting for around 14% of the country’s total population of 89 million. Each ethnic group has its own distinct culture and traditions, contributing to Vietnam’s rich cultural diversity.
The term ethnic minorities is often used interchangeably with indigenous peoples in Vietnam. The Thai, Tay, Nung, Hmong and Dao, are fairly large groups, each with between 500,000 and 1.2 million people. There are many groups with fewer than 300,000 people, however, sometimes only a few hundred. Around 650,000 people belonging to several ethnic groups live on the plateau of the Central Highlands (Tay Nguyen) in the south. All ethnic minorities have Vietnamese citizenship.
The ethnic minorities live scattered throughout the country, inhabiting midland, coastal and mountain areas, but are concentrated mostly in the Northern Mountains and Central Highlands.
Ethnic groups intermingle closely with each other but no one group possesses its own customary territory. Two or three groups can be found in the same village and, through everyday community relations, they all know each other’s language, customs and traditions.
Download the 2011 yearbook article on indigenous peoples in Vietnam to read more about major developments and events during 2010
