Which ethnic groups are among the largest in Eastern Africa?

Eastern Africa is an ethnically complex region home to more than 160 distinct ethnic groups. These populations are generally categorized by their linguistic families, including Cushitic, Nilo-Saharan, and Bantu speakers.1

Among the largest ethnic groups in the region are:

• Oromo: Cushitic speakers who constitute the largest ethnolinguistic group in Ethiopia and occupy significant portions of southern Ethiopia and parts of Kenya.12
• Somali: A large group of Cushitic speakers who inhabit all of Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, and much of Djibouti.1
• Amhara: A major Semitic-speaking group that dominates northwestern Ethiopia and is the second-largest ethnolinguistic group in the country.123
• Tigray: Another prominent Semitic-speaking group primarily located in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia.13

In the more fragmented regions of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, major groups include:

• Bantu-speaking peoples: Such as the Kikuyu, Chaga, and Kamba.1
• Nilo-Saharan speakers: Including the Luo, Lango, Kalenjin, Maasai, and Karimojong.1