Indigenous peoples in Mexico
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 25,694,928 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Mexico (Yucatán, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Campeche, Veracruz, Guerrero) | |
| Languages | |
| Nahuatl, Yucatec, Tzotzil, Mixtec, Zapotec, Otomi, Huichol, Totonac and other living 54 languages along the Mexican territory, as well as Spanish. | |
| Religion | |
| Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, with Amerindian religious elements, including Aztec and Mayan religion.) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Indigenous peoples of the Americas |
| Indigenous peoples of Mexico | ||
| Group | Population | Speakers¹ |
|---|---|---|
| Nahuatl (Nāhuatlācah [naːwaˈt͡ɬaːkaʔ]) | 2,445,969 | 1,659,029 |
| (Yucatec) Maya (Maya’wiinik) | 1,475,575 | 892,723 |
| Zapotec (Binizaa) | 777,253 | 505,992 |
| Mixtec (Tu'un savi) | 726,601 | 510,801 |
| Otomi (Hñähñü) | 646,875 | 327,319 |
| Totonac (Tachiwin) | 411,266 | 271,847 |
| Tzotzil (Batzil k'op) | 406,962 | 356,349 |
| Tzeltal (K'op o winik atel) | 384,074 | 336,448 |
| Mazahua (Hñatho) | 326,660 | 151,897 |
| Mazatec (Ha shuta enima) | 305,836 | 246,198 |
| Huastec (Téenek) | 296,447 | 173,233 |
| Ch'ol (Winik) | 220,978 | 189,599 |
| Chinantec (Tsa jujmí) | 201,201 | 152,711 |
| Purépecha (P'urhépecha) | 202,884 | 136,388 |
| Mixe (Ayüükjä'äy) | 168,935 | 135,316 |
| Tlapanec (Me'phaa) | 140,254 | 119,497 |
| Tarahumara (Rarámuri) | 121,835 | 87,721 |
| Source: CDI (2000) | ||
| Indigenous Languages of Mexico | ||
| Group | Population | Speakers1 |
|---|---|---|
| Mayo (Yoreme) | 91,261 | 60,093 |
| Zoque (O'de püt) | 86,589 | 34,770 |
| Chontal Maya (Yokot) | 79,438 | 43,850 |
| Popoluca (Tuncápxe) | 62,306 | 44,237 |
| Chatino (Cha'cña) | 60,003 | 47,762 |
| Amuzgo (Tzañcue) | 57,666 | 48,843 |
| Tojolabal (Tojolwinik) | 54,505 | 44,531 |
| Huichol (Wixárika) | 43,929 | 36,856 |
| Tepehuan (O'dam, Audam, and Ódami) | 37,548 | 30,339 |
| Triqui (Tinujéi) | 29,018 | 24,491 |
| Popoloca | 26,249 | 18,926 |
| Cora (Nayeeri) | 24,390 | 19,512 |
| Mame (Qyool) | 23,812 | 8,739 |
| Yaqui (Yoeme) | 23,411 | 15,053 |
| Cuicatec (Nduudu yu) | 22,984 | 15,078 |
| Huave (Ikoods) | 20,528 | 16,135 |
| Source: CDI (2000) | ||
| Indigenous Languages of Mexico | ||
| Group | Population | Speakers1 |
|---|---|---|
| Tepehua (Hamasipini) | 16,051 | 10,625 |
| Kanjobal (K'anjobal) | 12,974 | 10,833 |
| Chontal of Oaxaca (Slijuala sihanuk) | 12,663 | 5,534 |
| Pame (Xigüe) | 12,572 | 9,768 |
| Chichimeca Jonaz (Uza) | 3,169 | 1,987 |
| Huarijio (Makurawe) | 2,844 | 1,905 |
| Chuj | 2,719 | 2,143 |
| Chocho (Runixa ngiigua) | 2,592 | 1,078 |
| Tacuate | 2,379 | 2,067 |
| Mexicanero (Mexikatlajtolli) | 2,296 | 1,300 |
| Ocuiltec (Tlahuica) | 1,759 | 522 |
| Pima Bajo | 1,540 | 836 |
| Jacaltec (Abxubal) | 1,478 | 584 |
| Kekchí (K'ekchí) | 987 | 835 |
| Lacandon (Hach t'an) | 896 | 731 |
| Ixcatec | 816 | 406 |
| Seri (Comcáac) | 716 | 518 |
| K'iche' (Quiché, Q'iché) | 524 | 286 |
| Motocintleco (Qatok) | 692 | 186 |
| Kaqchikel (K'akchikel) | 675 | 230 |
| Paipai (Akwa'ala) | 418 | 221 |
| Tohono O'odham (Papago) | 363 | 153 |
| Cocopah (Es péi) | 344 | 206 |
| Kumiai (Ti'pai) | 328 | 185 |
| Kikapú (Kikapooa) | 251 | 144 |
| Cochimi (Laymón, mti'pá) | 226 | 96 |
| Ixil | 224 | 108 |
| Kiliwa (Ko'lew) | 107 | 55 |
| Aguacatec | 59 | 27 |
| Other groups2 | 728 | 337 |
| Source: CDI (2000) | ||
Indigenous peoples of Mexico (Spanish: pueblos indígenas de México), Native Americans in Mexico, or Mexican Indians (Spanish: indios mexicanos) are those who are part of communities that trace their roots back to populations and communities that existed in what is now Mexico prior to the arrival of Europeans.
According to the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, or CDI in Spanish) and the INEGI (official census institute), in 2015 25,694,928 people in Mexico self-identify as being indigenous. of many different ethnic groups, which constitute 21.5% of Mexico's population.
In the second article of its Constitution, Mexico is defined as a "pluricultural" nation in recognition of the diverse ethnic groups that constitute it and where the indigenous peoples are the original foundation.
The number of indigenous Mexicans is judged using the political criteria found in the 2nd article of the Mexican constitution. The Mexican census does not report racial-ethnicity but only the cultural-ethnicity of indigenous communities that preserve their indigenous languages, traditions, beliefs and cultures.
The category of "indigena" (indigenous) can be defined narrowly according to linguistic criteria including only persons that speak one of Mexico's 89 indigenous languages, this is the categorization used by the National Mexican Institute of Statistics. It can also be defined broadly to include all persons who self identify as having an indigenous cultural background, whether or not they speak the language of the indigenous group they identify with. This means that the percentage of the Mexican population defined as "indigenous" varies according to the definition applied, cultural activists have referred to the usage of the narrow definition of the term for census purposes as "statistical genocide".
The indigenous peoples in Mexico have the right of free determination under the second article of the constitution. According to this article the indigenous peoples are granted:
amongst other rights. Also, the Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Languages recognizes 89 indigenous languages as "national languages", which have the same validity as Spanish in all territories where they are spoken. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Data Processing (INEGI), approximately 5.4% of the population speaks an indigenous language - that is, approximately half of those identified as indigenous. The recognition of indigenous languages and the protection of indigenous cultures is granted not only to the ethnic groups indigenous to modern-day Mexican territory but also to other North American indigenous groups that migrated to Mexico from the United States in the nineteenth century and those who immigrated from Guatemala in the 1980s.
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