Pashtuns
Ethnic group native to Pakistan and Afghanistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pashtuns (/ˈpʌʃˌtʊn/, /ˈpɑːʃˌtʊn/, /ˈpæʃˌtuːn/; Pashto: پښتانه, romanized: Pəx̌tānə́;[18]), also known as Pakhtuns,[19] or Pathans,[lower-alpha 1] are a nomadic,[23][24][25] pastoral,[26][27] Eastern Iranic ethnic group[19] primarily residing in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan.[28][29] They historically were also referred to as Afghans[lower-alpha 2] until the 1970s[35][36] after the term's meaning had become a demonym for members of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.[35][37]
پښتانه | |
---|---|
Total population | |
c. 63 million | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Pakistan | 40,097,131 (2023)[1] |
Afghanistan | 18,831,361 (2023)[2] |
India | 3,200,000 (2018) [primarily non-Pashto speaking estimates] 21,677 (2011) [Pashto speakers][3][4][5][6] |
Iran | 169,000 (2022)[7] |
United States | 538,000 (2021)[8] |
United Kingdom | 100,000 (2009)[9] |
Tajikistan | 32,400 (2017)[10] |
Canada | 31,700 (2021)[11] |
Russia | 19,800 (2015)[12] |
Australia | 12,662 (2021)[13] |
Languages | |
Pashto in its different dialects: Wanetsi, Central Pashto, Southern Pashto, Northern Pashto[14] | |
Religion | |
Majority: Sunni Islam Minority: Shia Islam,[15] Hinduism,[16] Sikhism[17] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Iranic peoples |
The Pashtuns speak the Pashto language, which belongs to the Eastern Iranian branch of the Iranian language family. Additionally, Dari serves as the second language of Pashtuns in Afghanistan,[38][39] while those in Pakistan speak Urdu and English.[40][41] In India, majority has lost the ability to speak Pashto and instead speak Hindi and other regional languages.[42][43][44]
There are an estimated 350–400 Pashtun tribes and clans with a variety of origin theories.[45][46][47] The total population of the Pashtun people worldwide is estimated to be around 49 million,[48] although this figure is disputed due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979.[49] They are the second-largest ethnic group in Pakistan and one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan,[50] constituting around 18.24% of the total Pakistani population and around 47% of the total Afghan population.[51][52][53] In India, significant and historical communities of the Pashtun diaspora exist in the northern region of Rohilkhand as well as in major Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai.[54][6]