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How does race differ from ethnicity?

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Overhead view of a diverse group of people standing in a circle, holding each other's hands in a gesture of unity and teamwork. — Race Skin color is one of the variables that has been used to classify people into different racial categories.

While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, they represent distinct concepts regarding human identity.

Race

The concept of race is primarily a social and historical construct rather than a biological one. Historically, it has been used to categorize people based on visible physical traits—such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features—often associated with large, geographically separated populations. However, modern scientific consensus, supported by DNA analysis, confirms that human physical variations overlap significantly and do not fit into discrete biological categories. Consequently, scholars view race as a social invention that emerged to categorize human differences, often serving as a mechanism for social division and stratification.12

Ethnicity

In contrast, ethnicity refers to the shared cultural heritage of a group. It is defined by commonalities such as:2
* Language and customs32
* Traditions and practices2
* Religious or tribal identity3
* National or ancestral origin3

While race focuses on perceived physical or genetic traits, ethnicity is concerned with group cultural identity, upbringing, and the social bonds formed through shared experiences and history. People may share a racial designation while maintaining distinct ethnic identities, or vice versa.32