White people

White people are a group identified mainly by their light skin color and often linked to people of European origin. The idea of being "white" as a race developed over time, especially during the time when European countries were building colonies.

Today, many scientists see the idea of a single "white race" as a social concept rather than a real, scientific category. They recognize that all humans have some biological differences, but the idea of distinct races, including white people, does not have a solid scientific basis. Instead, it is shaped by social and historical contexts.

The term "white" has changed meaning through history. In the past, people in Europe described themselves mainly by their religion, ancestry, ethnicity, or nationality, rather than by a shared racial identity. Only later did the concept of a unified white race become widely accepted.

Understanding white people helps us see how ideas about race have developed and affect societies today. It shows how human identities are influenced by history, culture, and social structures.

Physical descriptions in antiquity

Main article: Pre-modern conceptions of whiteness

Long ago, people often used the words "white" and "black" to talk about ideas, not just skin color. For example, changing skin color could mean becoming religious or not. In ancient times, art from places like Egypt, Mycenaean Greece, and Minoan Crete often showed women with light skin and men with darker, sun-tanned skin. Some ancient writers, like Plato and Aristotle, thought that men with very light skin might seem weak.

Writers such as Xenophon of Athens talked about people from Persia having light skin because they wore clothes and didn't do hard work. Ancient people noticed different looks among groups, like the Scythians having blue eyes and red hair, or the Egyptians and Colchians having darker skin and curly hair.

History

The word "White" started being used to describe people from Europe in the 1600s. This was a time when many people from Africa were taken from their homes and forced to work without pay.

Later, some scientists tried to prove that people from Europe were better than others by studying race. These ideas were later shown to be wrong. Different people had many ideas about what made someone "White" over time. Some included people from parts of Asia, while others did not. Even among Europeans, some thought people from the north were different from those in the south. These ideas changed a lot and were not always agreed upon.

Census and social definitions in different regions

Definitions of White have changed over time, including the official definitions used in many countries, such as the United States and Brazil. Some countries do not ask about race or colour in their census. Fewer people identify as White in Australia, Canada, the United States, and some European countries including the United Kingdom.

Africa

See also: White Angolans, White people in Botswana, White people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, White Malawians, White Namibians, and White people in Zambia

South Africa

Main article: White South Africans

See also: Afrikaners and White Africans of European ancestry

White Dutch people arrived in South Africa around 1652. By the early 1700s, about 2,000 Europeans and their descendants lived there. These early Afrikaners came from many places, including Germany and France, but kept strong Dutch traditions.

There were 4.6 million Whites in South Africa in 2011, fewer than the 5.2 million in 1995. Many left the country, but some returned over time.

Asia

Philippines

See also: Spanish Filipinos, Mexican Filipinos, and American Filipinos

In the Far East and Southeast Asia, in the Philippines, a study shows 5% of Filipinos' ancestry comes from Southern Europeans who arrived during Spanish rule. There are also 250,000 American-Filipinos and Amerasians of mixed Filipino and American descent living in cities.

Hong Kong

In the 2021 census of Hong Kong, 61,582 people identified as white, which is 0.8% of the population.

Australia and Oceania

Australia

See also: European Australians and Anglo-Celtic Australians

From 1788, when the first British colony in Australia began, until the early 1800s, most new arrivals were convicts. Later, small numbers of free settlers came from the British Isles and other European countries. Few rules limited immigration until the mid-1800s.

Many people of different races came to Australia during the gold rushes in the 1850s, but most were still White.

From the late 1800s, Colonial/State and later federal governments restricted immigration by people who were not European. These rules were called the "White Australia policy" and were enforced by the Immigration Restriction Act 1901.

After World War II, many people from southern and eastern Europe began to come to Australia. The White Australia Policy slowly changed after that.

In the 2016 census, about 58% of Australians were Anglo-Celtic Australians and 18% were of other European backgrounds, making 76% of the population European overall. The 2021 Australian census does not use the word "white".

New Zealand

See also: White New Zealanders

Racial groups in New Zealand (2023 census)

1. Whites (67.8%)
2. Other groups (32.2%)

British colonies began in Australia in 1788, and whaling and sealing near New Zealand brought many Europeans to the area. Early visitors included whalers, sealers, missionaries, sailors, and traders.

In the 1870s, an MP named Julius Vogel borrowed money from Britain to build railways, lights, ports, and bridges, and encouraged many people from Britain to move to New Zealand. By 1870, over 250,000 people who were not Māori lived there.

The 2023 New Zealand census refers to European New Zealanders instead of using the word "white".

Europe

France

White people in France are a general group based on race or skin color in French society.

French law does not collect racial or ethnic information, so there are no official numbers about White residents or citizens in France.

Republic of Ireland

Racial groups in Ireland (2022 census)

1. Whites (87.4%)
2. Other groups (12.6%)

The 2022 Irish census found 4,444,145 people, or 87.4%, identified as "White Irish" or Other White. This is less than the 92.4% in 2016 and 94.24% in 2011.

Malta

As of the 2021 census, 89.1% said they were white. Maltese-born people make up most of the island’s 519,562 residents.

Portugal

A 2023 study by Statistics Portugal found 6.4 million people aged 18 to 74, or 84.1%, identified as White.

United Kingdom

See also: Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom, Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom, White British, Other White, White Irish, White Polish, and White Gypsy or Irish Traveller

Historical White identities

Racial groups in the United Kingdom (2021 census)

1. Whites (83.0%)
2. Other groups (16.9%)

Before the Industrial Revolutions in Europe, being White might have been linked to higher social status.

North America

Bermuda (U.K.)

Main article: White Bermudians

In the 2016 census, 19,466 Bermudians, or 31%, identified as white.

Canada

See also: European Canadians and Canadian ethnicity

Racial groups in Canada (2021 census)

1. Whites (67.4%)
2. Other groups (32.6%)

In 2021, about 24 million of the 36 million Canadians said they were "White", which is 67.4% of the population.

United States

Main article: White Americans

See also: Definitions of whiteness in the United States and European Americans

Racial groups in the United States (2020 census)

1. Whites (61.6%)
2. Other groups (38.4%)

White Americans were almost 90% of the population in 1950. A Pew Research Center report from 2008 says that by 2050, non-Hispanic White Americans may be 47% of the population, down from 67% expected in 2005.

South America

Argentina

Main article: White Argentines

Argentina, like Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the United States, and Uruguay, is seen as a country where many people from Europe settled.

Brazil

Main article: White Brazilians

Racial groups in Brazil (2022 census)

1. Whites (43.5%)
2. Other groups (56.5%)

Brazilian censuses now use self-identification. The 2022 Census counted 88,252,121 people as White, which is 43.5% of Brazil’s population.

Chile

Main article: White Chileans

Estimates for the White population in Chile range from 20% to 52%.

Colombia

Main article: White Colombians

Colombia does not have official racial censuses, so numbers are based on “non-ethnic” groups, which include Whites and Mestizos.

Ecuador

Main article: Demographics of Ecuador

Racial groups in Ecuador (2022 census)

1. Whites (2.21%)
2. Other groups (97.8%)

The 2022 census found 2.2% of Ecuadorians identified as European Ecuadorian, down from 6.1% in 2010.

Guyana

Main article: Demographics of Guyana

In 2016, 0.3% of Guyana were of European descent, mostly Portuguese Guyanese.

Paraguay

Main article: White Paraguayans

Peru

Main article: White Peruvians

Racial groups in Peru (2017 census)

1. Whites (5.89%)
2. Other groups (94.1%)

The 2017 census found 5.9% or 1.3 million people aged 12 and older identified as White.

Suriname

Main article: White Surinamese

In 2012, 1,667 people, or 0.3% of the population, were White. Many Dutch left after Suriname’s independence in 1975, so the Dutch population shrank. About 1,000 boeroes remain in Suriname, with 3,000 more living outside the country.

Uruguay

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

Racial groups in Uruguay (2011 census)

1. Whites (87.7%)
2. Other groups (12.3%)

Estimates say 88% to 93% of Uruguay’s 3.4 million people are White Uruguayans.

Venezuela

Main article: White Venezuelans

The 2011 Venezuelan Census says “White” describes people of European origin. It found 43.6% of the population, about 13.1 million, identified as White. Genetic research shows Venezuelans are on average 60.6% European, 23.0% Amerindian, and 16.3% African.