Demographics of Central Asia
Introduction Population pyramid of Central Asia in 2023The ethnolinguistic patchwork of Central Asia in 1992Map of the countries of Central Asia, Afghanistan (occasionally included), the Caspian Sea, and surrounding countriesThe nations which make up Central Asia are five of the former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which have a total population of about  million. Afghanistan is not always considered part of the region, but when it is, Central Asia has a total population of about 122 million (2016); Mongolia and Xinjiang (part of China) is also sometimes considered part of Central Asia due to its Central Asian cultural ties and traditions, although geographically it is East Asian. Most central Asians belong to religions which were introduced to the area within the last 1,500 years, such as Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Ismaili Islam, Tengriism and Syriac Christianity (mostly East Syriac). Buddhism, however, was introduced to Central Asia over 2,200 years ago, and Zoroastrianism, over 2,500 years ago.
Ethnic groups The below are demographic data on the ethnic groups in Central AsiaEthnic GroupCenter of population in Central AsiaTotal roughly estimated population in Central AsiaUzbekUzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan36,000,000TajikTajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. It includes the Pamiri people, who are officially categorized as Tajiks in Tajikistan.25,000,000KazakhKazakhstan, Uzbekistan16,500,000KyrgyzKyrgyzstan4,900,000MongoliansMongolia, Kyrgyzstan 3,237,000RussiansKazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan4,000,000 KoreansKazakhstan, Uzbekistan500,000 UkrainianNorthern Kazakhstan250,000 TurkmenTurkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iran6,500,000Volga GermanKazakhstan200,000UyghurNorthwest China, Eastern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan13,000,000Dungan or HuiNorthwest China, Kyrgyzstan10,500,000Bukharian JewUzbekistan1,000TatarUzbekistan700,000KarakalpaksNorth western Uzbekistan500,000BashkirsKazakhstan30,000Meskhetian TurksKazakhstan200,000ArmeniansTurkmenistan, Uzbekistan100,000AltaiNorthern Kazakhstan10,000PashtunAfghanistan12,500,000HazaraAfghanistan6,500,000AimakCentral and Northwest Afghanistan1,500,000BalochSouthern Afghanistan, Turkmenistan600,000NuristaniFar eastern and northern Afghanistan200,000+BelarusiansNorthern Kazakhstan100,000-200,000 RomaniansKazakhstan 20,000GreeksKazakhstan 30,000MordvinsKazakhstan20,000MoldovansKazakhstan 25,000ChechensKazakhstan 40,000PolesNorthern Kazakhstan50,000-100,000AzeriKazakhstan and Turkmenistan 100,000ChuvashNorthern Kazakhstan35,000
Genetic history An analysis of Scytho-Siberian matrilineal DNA lineages of Iron Age human remains from the Altai region found evidence of a mixture of West Eurasian and East Asian maternal lineages. Prior to the Iron Age, all ancient maternal lineages in the Altai region were of West Eurasian origin, however Iron Age specimens show that Western Eurasian lineages were reduced by 50%, and East Asian lineages increased by 50%. The authors suggested that the rise of East Asian mtDNA lineages likely happened within the Iron Age Scythian period.The ancestry of modern Central Asian populations is significantly derived from later Indo-Iranian and Turkic populations. A genetic study published in ''Nature'' in May 2018 examined the remains of four elite Türk soldiers buried between ca. 300 AD and 700 AD. 50% of the samples of Y-DNA belonged to the West Eurasian haplogroup R1, while the other 50% belonged to East Eurasian haplogroups Q and O. The extracted samples of mtDNA belonged mainly to East Eurasian haplogroups C4b1, A14 and A15c, while one specimen carried the West Eurasian haplogroup H2a. The authors suggested that central Asian nomadic populations may have been Turkicized by an East Asian minority elite, resulting in a small but detectable increase in East Asian ancestry. However, these authors also found that Türkic period individuals were extremely genetically diverse, with some individuals being of near complete West Eurasian descent. To explain this diversity of ancestry, they propose that there were also incoming West Eurasians moving eastward on the Eurasian steppe during the Türkic period, resulting in admixture.A 2020 study analyzed genetic data from 7 early medieval Türk skeletal remains from Eastern Turkic Khaganate burial sites in Mongolia. The authors described the Türk samples as highly diverse, carrying on average 40% West Eurasian, and 60% East Eurasian ancestry. West Eurasian ancestry in the Türks combined Sarmatian-related and BMAC ancestry, while the East Eurasian ancestry was related to Ancient Northeast Asians. The authors also observed that the Western Steppe Herder ancestry in the Türks was largely inherited from male ancestors, which also corresponds with the marked increase of paternal haplogroups such as R and J during the Türkic period in Mongolia. Admixture between East and West Eurasian ancestors of the Türkic samples was dated to 500 CE, or roughly 8 generations prior. Three of the Türkic-affiliated males carried the paternal haplogroups J2a and J1a, two carried haplogroup C-F3830, and one carried R1a-Z93.The analyzed maternal haplogroups were identified as D4, D2, B4, C4, H1 and U7.The Kyrgyz people derive a significant part of their ancestry from East Asian-related populations (c. 59.3–69.8%), as well as from Iranian-related sources. Modern Iranian-speaking Central Asians have less Northeast Asian ancestry (7.7–17.1%). Ancestry related to the earliest inhabitants, the Ancient North Eurasians, is still found in low amounts among modern day Central Asians.Mongolians and Kazakhs carry 6-40% West Eurasian ancestry from a Bronze Age Western Steppe Herder source.
Religion ReligionApproximate populationCenter of populationSunni Islam103,000,000South and East of region: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Eastern Xinjiang and Southern Kazakhstan. (most dense in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan)Buddhism9,084,000700,000 and 1.5 million Buddhists in Russia, 8.44 million in Xinjiang, 140,000 people in Kazakhstan and Afghanistan; (Mongols, Koreans, Daur, Mongour, Tungusic peoples, Tibetans, Tuvans, Yugur)Shia Islam4,000,000Hazaras, Afghanistan. While a significant number of them are Sunni.Eastern Christianity4,000,000Mainly in northern Kazakhstan, significant communities are also located in the other four Soviet republics in the region.Atheism and Irreligion2,500,000+Throughout the regionWestern Christianity510,000KazakhstanJudaism27,500UzbekistanZoroastrianism10,000Historically Afghanistan
See also * Indo-Aryan migration hypothesis* Turkic migration* History of the Jews in Central Asia
Bibliography * Guarino-Vignon, P., Marchi, N., Bendezu-Sarmiento, J. ''et al.'' Genetic continuity of Indo-Iranian speakers since the Iron Age in southern Central Asia. ''Sci Rep'' '''12,''' 733 (2022).
References *https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chuan-Chao_Wang*https://synaptic.bio/publications/8629*****	*