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Ethnic groups in AfghanistanWhen discussing ethnicity, it often proves difficult to draw clear distinctions between

terms such as social, ethnic and minority groups. For the purposes of this paper we are using the term ethnic group, which is generally defined as:

A social group of a larger society that is bound together by common ties of race, language, nationality, culture or other common values.

According to the definition by the Minority Rights Group International (MRG), minorities, more specifically, are “disadvantaged ethnic, national, religious, linguistic or cultural groups who are smaller in number than the rest of the population and who may wish to maintain and develop their identity.”

Ethnic groups

Afghanistan is a multiethnic society, and its historical status as a crossroads has contributed significantly to its diverse ethnic makeup. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ethnolinguistic groups. Because a systematic census has not been held in the nation in decades, exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnic groups are unavailable. An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below:

Ethnic groups in Afghanistan

Ethnic group 2004–2014 estimate

Pashtun 42%

Tajik 27% (of this 1% are Qizilbash)

Hazara 8%

Uzbek 9%

Aimaq 4%

Turkmen 3%

Baloch 2%

Others (Pashayi, Nuristani, Arab, Brahui, Pamiri, Gurjar, etc.)

4%

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Pashtun

Pashtun people also known as Afghans or Pathans are an Iranian ethnic group belonging to Afghanistan and Pakistan. They typically speak the Eastern Iranian Pashto language and practice Pashtunwali; a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. They are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and have dominated as the primary ethno-linguistic group for about 300 years. Pashtun culture is a unique blend of native customs with some influences from South and Western Asia. Pashtuns celebrate Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

The Pashtun social structure is based on the Pashtunwali code of honour and behaviour. According to research by MRG, the most important principles for Pashtuns are hospitality, protection of guests, defence of property, family honour and the protection of female relatives. Although the Pashtuns have been politically dominant in Afghanistan in the past and heavily involved in governing the country, they have never formed a homogenous political group across internal divides. According to research by an anthropological think tank, the Tribal Analysis Center (TAC), divisions and rivalries among subgroupings and interference in each other‟s affairs have characterized Pashtun group dynamics.

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Tajik 

Tajik encompasses a wide range of Persian speaking people of Iranian origin. Tajik people generally inhabit not only Afghanistan but Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well. Alternate names for the Tajik people are Farsi, Farsiwan, and Dihgan which literally means “farmer” or “settled villager.” Tajiks make up about 27% of the population in Afghanistan. They generally reside in four of the largest cities in Afghanistan; Kabul, Mazar-e Sharif,Herat, and Ghazni. The majority of Tajiks follow Sunni Islam. The Tajiks are the second populous ethnic group after the Pashtuns. Rulers from the Tajik ethnic group led Afghanistan during two brief periods: (i) for nine months in 1929 under Habibullah Khan and (ii) from 1992 to 1996 under President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Tajik militias and communities were reportedly targeted by the Taliban. Human Rights Watch (HRW) profiles one of the most notable instances of violence by the Taliban, the massacre of Mazar-e Sharif in 1998, where Tajiks comprised a significant proportion of the 2,000 estimated victims. Since 2001, the situation of Afghan Tajiks has changed considerably according to the BBC. The Tajik resistance fighters were very influential in the so-called Northern Alliance that cooperated with US and coalition forces to oust the Taliban.

Hazara

The Hazara people are a Persian-speaking people. They live mostly in central Afghanistan. They are the third largest ethnic group in the country. Hazara people also reside in neighboring Pakistan and have reached an estimated 1 million in Iran. They generally speak Hazaragi, an eastern dialect of the Persian language. They are predominantly Shi’a Muslims of the Twelver sect and some Ismali. A small number of Hazara are Sunni. Many Hazaras are highland farmers and have retained many of their own customs and traditions.

The majority of Hazaras live in the Hazarajat, situated in the mountainous central provinces of Afghanistan. According to MRG, the Hazaras were once the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising nearly 67% of the total population prior to the 19th century. More than half of the Hazara population is thought to have been massacred in 1893 under the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. In the late 19th century, many Hazaras settled in western Turkestan, which today includes Jowzjan and Badghis provinces. Today, the Hazaras constitute roughly 9% of the Afghan population.

Uzbek

Uzbeks are the largest Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. While they typically comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, they make up almost 9% of Afghanistan. Most Uzbeks come from a predominantly Sunni Muslim background.

Turkmen

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Turkmens are a Turkic people that make up about 3% of the total population in Afghanistan. They speak a Turkmen language and are typically very conservative in comparison to their brethren in Turkmenistan. They follow many traditional Islamic practices that many in Turkmenistan have abandoned. The Turkens in Afghanistan have remained somewhat of a semi-nomadic people and traditionally work in agriculture and the animal industry. They are also involved often times in carpet production.

Uzbeks and Turkmen both live predominantly, though not exclusively, in the northern provinces of Afghanistan. Together they comprise roughly 12% of the Afghan population. According to research by Vogelsang, many Uzbeks came to Afghanistan in the late 19th century and onwards, particularly after the Russan Revolution. The Turkmen stem from the Turkic-speaking tribes and are closely related to the people of modern Turkey and the Central Asian countries bordering Afghanistan in the North. The Uzbeks are also a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, but according to MRG they are also said to be ethnically related to the Iranian people. Uzbeks and Turkmen are mostly grain and vegetable farmers, and they occupy the greatest share of Afghanistan‟s arable land in the North. Many supplement their income by producing and selling crafts, animal by-products and, most importantly, carpets. According to an Afghanistan country study by the US Library of Congress, many Uzbeks are settled in towns where they are successful businessmen, silver and goldsmiths and leatherworkers. Due to their relative prosperity and small size compared to the overall population of Afghanistan, Uzbeks and Turkmen have not pursued political influence in the past to the same degree as other ethnic groups. However, according to data from the MAR Project, Uzbeks have more recently been striving for greater political participation in the central government and greater control over Uzbek-majority areas. Ethnic Uzbeks have called for a federal Afghanistan and autonomy for the northern provinces. Small-scale protest activities and clashes with Tajiks and Pashtuns have been occurring on a more regular basis in recent years, says the MAR Project.

Aimak

The Aimak people are a collection of Persian speaking nomadic and semi nomadic tribes. They can be found in the West Central highlands in Afghanistan, immediately north of Herat, and in the Khorasan Province of Iran. They speak a number of different dialects but the majority of the southern groups speak Pashto. Most are Sunni Muslims. While Hazaras typically live in houses, the Aimak people generally are tent-dwellers.

Baloch

The Baloch people are a tribal society and make up approximately 2% of Aghanistan. They speak mainly the Balochi language which is a branch of the Iranian languages. Most men are grain farmers and cattle herders. Some are also known as superior camel breeders. Only a small percentage of Balochs are formally educated past high school. Males traditionally will be seen in a long, loose below-knee length shirt worn over baggy trousers and completed with a turban.

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Other Groups

Smaller groups include Pashai, Nuristani, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Arab, and Gujjar.

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