Ethnic groups in Europe

Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both.

The total number of national minority populations in Europe is estimated at 105 million people, or 14% of 770 million Europeans in 2002.^[1] The Russians are the most populous among Europeans, with a population of roughly 120 million.^[2] There are no universally accepted and precise definitions of the terms "ethnic group" and "nationality". In the context of European ethnography in particular, the terms ethnic group, people, nationality and ethno-linguistic group are used as mostly synonymous, although preference may vary in usage with respect to the situation specific to the individual countries of Europe.^[3]