Pashtuns
Pashtuns (/ˈpʌʃˌtʊn/, /ˈpɑːʃˌtʊn/, /ˈpæʃˌtuːn/; Pashto: پښتانه, romanized: Pəx̌tānə́; Pashto pronunciation: [pəxˈtɑːna]), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are a nomadic, pastoral, Eastern Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. They historically were also referred to as Afghans until the 1970s, after the term's meaning had become a demonym for members of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.
پښتانه | |
|---|---|
Number of Pashtuns Tribal and religious men in southern Afghanistan | |
| Total population | |
| c. 59 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Pakistan | 40,097,131 (2023) |
| Afghanistan | 18,831,361 (2023) |
| India | 3,200,000 (2018) |
| Iran | 169,000 (2022) |
| United States | 538,000 (2021) |
| United Kingdom | 100,000 (2009) |
| Tajikistan | 32,400 (2017) |
| Canada | 31,700 (2021) |
| Russia | 19,800 (2015) |
| Australia | 12,662 (2021) |
| Languages | |
| Pashto In their different dialects: Wanetsi, Central Pashto, Southern Pashto, Northern Pashto | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Sunni Muslim with a significant Shia minority | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Iranic peoples | |
The Pashtun's speak the Pashto language, which belong to the Eastern Iranian branch of the Iranian language family. Additionally, Dari serves as the second language of Pashtuns in Afghanistan, while those in Pakistan and India speak Hindi-Urdu and other regional languages as their second language.
There are an estimated 350–400 Pashtun tribes and clans with a variety of origin theories. The total population of the Pashtun people worldwide is estimated to be around 59 million, although this figure is disputed due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979. They are the second-largest ethnic group in Pakistan and one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan, constituting around 18.24% of the total Pakistani population and around 47% of the total Afghan population. 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.