Total population | |
---|---|
c. 30–32 million | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Turkey | estimates from 12 to 22.5 million 15.7–25% |
Iran | estimates from 3.35 million to 8 million, 5–10% |
Iraq | estimates from 4 to 6.5 million, 15–23% |
Syria | estimates from 2 to 2.5 million, 10–15% |
Armenia | 37,500 |
Georgia | 13,861 (as of 2015) |
Azerbaijan | 6,100 |
Diaspora | c. 2 million |
Germany | 800,000 |
France | 150,000 |
Sweden | 83,600 |
Belgium | 50,000 |
Netherlands | 70,000 |
Russia | 63,800 |
United Kingdom | 50,000 |
Kazakhstan | 42,300 |
Switzerland | 35,000 |
Denmark | 30,000 |
Jordan | 30,000 |
Austria | 23,000 |
Greece | 22,000 |
United States | 15,400 |
Kyrgyzstan | 13,200 |
Canada | 11,685 |
Finland | 10,700 |
Australia | 7,000 |
Languages | |
Kurdish and Zaza–Gorani In their different forms: Sorani, Kurmanji, Pehlewani, Zaza, Gorani |
|
Religion | |
majority Islam since 7th century (Sunni Muslim, but also Shia Muslim and Sufism) with minorities of deism, agnosticism, Yazdânism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Judaism |
|
Related ethnic groups | |
other Iranian peoples |
The Kurds (Kurdish: Kurd, کورد) also the Kurdish people (Kurdish: Gelê Kurd, گەلی کورد) are an ethnic group in the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a contiguous area spanning adjacent parts of eastern and southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), western Iran (Eastern or Iranian Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern or Iraqi Kurdistan), and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan or Rojava). The Kurds are culturally and linguistically closely related to the Iranian peoples and, as a result, are often themselves classified as an Iranian people.
The Kurds are estimated to number, worldwide, around 30–32 million, possibly as many as 37 million, with the majority living in West Asia; however, there are significant Kurdish diaspora communities in the cities of western Turkey, in particular Istanbul. A recent Kurdish diaspora has also developed in Western countries, primarily in Germany. The Kurds are the majority population in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, and are a significant minority group in the neighboring countries Turkey and Iran, where Kurdish nationalist movements continue to pursue greater autonomy and cultural rights.