The Indigenous World 2025: Uganda

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Indigenous Peoples in Uganda include former hunter-gatherer communities such as the Benet and the Batwa. They also include minority groups such as the Ik, and the Karamojong and Basongora pastoralists, who are not recognized specifically as Indigenous Peoples by the government.

The

El Mundo Indígena 2025: Guatemala

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Para el año 2023, la población proyectada de Guatemala es de 17,6 millones de habitantes,^[1] de los cuales 43,75 % son indígenas pertenecientes a los pueblos Mayas (Achi’, Akateco, Awakateco, Chalchiteco, Ch’orti’, Chuj, Itza’, Ixil, Jacalteco,

The Indigenous World 2025: Philippines

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The country’s Indigenous population continues to be estimated at between 10% and 20% of the national population of 109,035,343, based on the 2020 population census.

The Indigenous groups in the northern mountains of Luzon (Cordillera) are collectively known as Igorot while the groups on

The Indigenous World 2025: Algeria

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The Amazigh are the Indigenous people of Algeria and other countries of North Africa. However, the Algerian government does not recognize the Indigenous status of the Amazigh and refuses to publish statistics on their population. Because of this, there is no official data on the number of

El Mundo Indígena 2025: China

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

La República Popular China (RPC o China) se proclama oficialmente como un país unificado con una composición étnica diversa en la que todas las nacionalidades se consideran iguales a efectos de la Constitución. Además de la mayoría china han, el gobierno reconoce 55 “nacionalidades

The Indigenous World 2025: Guatemala

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

By the year 2023, the population of Guatemala is projected to reach 17.6 million,^[1] of which 43.75% are Indigenous, belonging to the Mayan peoples (Achi', Akateco, Awakateco, Chalchiteco, Ch'orti', Chuj, Itza', Ixil, Jacalteco, Kaqchikel, K'iche',

The Indigenous World 2025: Eritrea

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Eritrea borders the southern Red Sea in the Horn of Africa. It emerged as an Italian colonial construct in the late 19^th century, superimposed over Indigenous populations. Eritrea’s current population is between 3.7 and 5.9 million inhabitants....

The Indigenous World 2025: Thailand

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The Indigenous Peoples of Thailand live mainly in three geographical regions of the country: Indigenous fisher communities (the Chao Ley) and small populations of hunter-gatherers in the south (Mani people); small groups on the Korat plateau of the north-east and east; and the many different

The Indigenous World 2025: Canada

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The contemporary Indigenous rights and governance framework is diverse in Canada. The Constitution Act of 1982, as well as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, explicitly recognize Aboriginal and Treaty rights and three groups of Aboriginal Peoples (commonly referred to as Indigenous

The Indigenous World 2025: Taiwan

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The officially recognized Indigenous population of Taiwan numbers 611,674 people, or 2.6% of the total population in 2024.^[1]

Sixteen distinct Indigenous Peoples are officially recognized: These peoples enjoy representation at all

Indigenous World 2025: European Union Engagement with Indigenous Issues

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 Member States. Its legislative and executive powers are divided between the EU main institutions: the European Parliament (co-legislative authority), the Council of the European Union (co-legislative and executive authority) and

The Indigenous World 2025: South Africa

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

The Khoikhoi and San peoples, collectively referred to as Khoe-San, make up approximately 1% of South Africa’s population of nearly 60 million.^[1] These communities, rich in bio-cultural heritage, face enduring socio-economic challenges, including

The Indigenous World 2025: Kanaky (New Caledonia)

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Kanaky (New Caledonia) is an overseas country and territory of the French Republic located 2,000 km off the north-east coast of Australia. France took possession of Kanaky in 1853. Kanaky is on the UN list of territories to be decolonized (Non-Self-Governing Territories)....

The Indigenous World 2025: Bangladesh

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 Indigenous Peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2022 census, the country’s Indigenous population numbers approximately 1,650,478,...

The Indigenous World 2025: Colombia

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Updated demographic information projected to 2024 on the basis of the Colombia Population and housing Census 2018 indicates that there are 2,489,189 individuals who self-identify as belonging to one of the country's 115 Indigenous Peoples, or 4.7% of the total population....

The Indigenous World 2025: Sápmi

Written by Constanza Marcus on 25 April 2025.

Sápmi^[i] is the Sámi people’s own name for their traditional territory. The Sámi people are the Indigenous people of the northern part of Finland, Norway, Sweden and large parts of the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Despite being separated by the borders

The Indigenous World 2025

Written by David Nathaniel Berger on 25 April 2025.

Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Defenders Forge Solidarity Amid Rising Challenges

Written by Gesa Hepp on 22 October 2024.

Across the world, Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Defenders (IPHRDs) face threats and reprisals for standing up for their rights, protesting violations, protecting their territories, communities, and the environment. In doing so they are far too often victims of violence, harassment, arbitrary

CHTC urges urgent action to address escalating tensions in Bandarban, emphasizes the need for a peaceful resolution, protection of civilians, and calls for action against alleged sponsored proxy conflicts

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 16 April 2024.

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) is deeply concerned about the escalating tensions in Bandarban and their potential impact on regional peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Commission emphatically calls for the protection of civilians and urges immediate

The Indigenous World 2024

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 16 April 2024.

The Indigenous World 2024: Business and Indigenous Peoples' Rights

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 25 March 2024.

The UN Human Rights Council established the Forum on Business and Human Rights^[1] in 2011 to serve as a global platform to “discuss trends and challenges in the implementation of the Guiding Principles and promote dialogue and cooperation on issues

The Indigenous World 2024: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 25 March 2024.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by its founding fathers, five of the now 10 Member States: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The other five Member States

The Indigenous World 2024: Canada

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 25 March 2024.

In Canada, the contemporary Indigenous rights and governance framework varies across the country. The Constitution Act of 1982, as well as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, explicitly recognize Aboriginal and Treaty rights and three groups of Aboriginal Peoples (commonly referred to

The Indigenous World 2024: Peru

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 22 March 2024.

The Peruvian State recognizes 47 Indigenous languages spoken by 55 different peoples in the country. In the 2017 National Population Census, almost six million people (5,972,603) self-identified as belonging to an Indigenous or native people, representing slightly more than a quarter of the

The Indigenous World 2024: Colombia

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 22 March 2024.

Colombia is home to some 115 Indigenous Peoples of diverse origins and linguistic and cultural traditions. They live spread throughout the whole country: on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, in the Amazon, the Orinoco savannahs and the Andean region. In the latest 2018 national census, the

The Indigenous World 2024: Brazil

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 22 March 2024.

According to data from the 2022 demographic census, Brazil is home to 266 Indigenous Peoples with a population of 1,693,535 people, or approximately 0.83% of the total Brazilian population. These peoples communicate in 275 different languages. The northern region of Brazil holds almost 45% of

The Indigenous World 2024: Vietnam

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 20 March 2024.

As a multi-ethnic country, Vietnam has 54 recognized ethnic groups, 53 of which are ethnic minorities. These groups comprise 14%^[1] of the country’s total population of around 100 million.^[2] Each ethnic

The Indigenous World 2024: Philippines

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 20 March 2024.

The country’s Indigenous population continues to be estimated at between 10% and 20% of the national population of 109,035,343, based on the 2020 population census.

The Indigenous groups in the northern mountains of Luzon (Cordillera) are collectively known as Igorot while the groups on

The Indigenous World 2024: Bedouin in the Negev/Naqab

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 20 March 2024.

Israel’s Arab Bedouin citizens are Indigenous to the Negev (Naqab, in Arabic) desert, where they have lived for centuries as a semi-nomadic people, long before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Members of the Bedouin community are an integral part of the Arab Palestinian

The Indigenous World 2024: Uganda

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 18 March 2024.

Indigenous Peoples in Uganda include former hunter-gatherer communities such as the Benet and the Batwa. They also include minority groups such as the Ik, the Karamojong and Basongora pastoralists, who are not recognized specifically as Indigenous Peoples by the government.     

The Indigenous World 2024: Libya

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 18 March 2024.

The Amazighs form the Indigenous population of Libya and are estimated to number some one million people, or more than 16% of the country’s total population.

They live in various areas of Libya in the north, east and south of the country albeit without any geographical continuity. To

The Indigenous World 2024: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 15 March 2024.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is inhabited by four major ethnic groups: the Bantu, the Nilotic, the Sudanese and the Pygmy. The concept of “Indigenous Pygmy people” is accepted and approved by the government and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the DRC and the term refers to the

The Indigenous World 2024: Algeria

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 14 March 2024.

The Amazighs are the Indigenous people of Algeria and other countries of North Africa. However, the Algerian government does not recognize the Indigenous status of the Amazighs and refuses to publish statistics on their population. Because of this, there is no official data on the number of

IWGIA condemns killing of four Indigenous leaders killed in Chittagong Hill Tracts

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 15 December 2023.

IWGIA has just learned that four Indigenous leaders were killed in Khagrachhari District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh on Monday 11 December. According to our sources, the leaders were allegedly killed by a masked vigilante group. A further three leaders were abducted and

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission Condemns Targeted Killings of Jumma Activists and Calls for Urgent Government Action

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 15 December 2023.

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) expresses deep shock at the tragic news of the killing of four Jumma activists reportedly by vigilante groups with alleged support from security forces.

The Indigenous World 2023: Editorial

Written by Morgane Jaouen on 30 March 2023.

This year’s edition of The Indigenous World takes a closer look at Indigenous Peoples’ rights in conservation efforts. In times of a global climate and biodiversity crisis, focusing on the protection of nature is crucial and, increasingly, studies show that Indigenous Peoples are among

Immediate end to reprisals against defenders of Indigenous Peoples' Rights: The case of Anexa Alfred Cunningham

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 10 December 2022.

Joint statement from IPRI and IWGIA

Throughout 2022, an increasing number of Indigenous Human Rights Defenders who engaged with the United Nations have experienced intimidation, harassment, threats, derogatory media campaigns, travel bans, arbitrary arrests and detention,

Indigenous defender remains detained in Algeria

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 18 January 2022.

IWGIA has learned that Indigenous Peoples human rights defender Kamira Nait Sid remains in pre-trial detention in Koléa prison near Algiers and has not yet been brought before a judge, which is against the law.

Sad news on the passing away of Zéphyrin Kalimba

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 06 January 2022.

It is with deep sadness that IWGIA received the news that Mr. Zéphyrin Kalimba passed away on the 2^nd of January in a hospital in Kigali, Rwanda at the age of 62.

Indigenous woman human rights defender arrested and detained in Algeria

Written by Dwayne Mamo on 16 November 2021.

On 24 August 2021, Indigenous Peoples human rights defender Kamira Nait Sid was abducted in the town of Draa-Ben-Khedda in northern Algeria by unidentified men and detained in an unknown location for seven days. After several days of her family, friends and colleagues not being able to contact

Land Defence and Defenders

Written by David Nathaniel Berger on 09 November 2021.

A Crucial Gap: The Limits to Official Data on Attacks Against Defenders and Why It's Concerning

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 04 October 2021.

Joint briefing produced by ALLIED Data Working Group (DWG) - International Land Coalition, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Front Line Defenders, ANGOC, CINEP, Green Advocates, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, IWGIA, ISHR, Natural Justice, Tecnicas Rudas & other

Cybersecurity in the Mekong Region: An Analysis of the Legal Framework and Recommendations for the Protection of Indigenous Environmental Human Rights Defenders

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 15 September 2021.

The report is part of “Defending the Defenders: Indigenous Environment Human Rights Defenders (IEHRDs)” project of the ...

Criminalization of Pathalgari Movement

Written by David Nathaniel Berger on 03 September 2021.

By Gladson Dungdung

Thousands of Adivasis involved in the “Pathalgari Movement” were criminalized for fighting for their collective rights to self-determination and protection of their lands, territories, and natural resources in Jharkhand State of

Civil Society Condemns Human Rights Violations against Indigenous Peoples in West Papua

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 17 June 2021.

An ongoing armed conflict in West Papua between the Indonesian military and the separatist movement finds ordinary Indigenous Peoples caught in the middle, resulting in deaths and violations of their rights. 

Indigenous World 2020: Bangladesh

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 Indigenous Peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2011 census, the country’s Indigenous population numbers approximately 1,586,141¹ which represents

Indigenous World 2020: Myanmar

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

There is no accurate information about the number of Indigenous Peoples in Myanmar, partly due to a lack of understanding of the internationally recognised concept of Indigenous Peoples. The government claims that all citizens of Myanmar are “Indigenous” (taing-yin-tha), and on that

Indigenous World 2020: Philippines

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

The population census conducted in the Philippines in 2010 for the first time included an ethnicity variable but no official figure for Indigenous Peoples has been released yet. The country’s Indigenous population thus continues to be estimated at between 10% and 20% of the national population

Indigenous World 2020: Guatemala

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

According to figures from the 2018 census, Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million inhabitants, 6.5 million (43.75%) of which self-identify as Indigenous, from the Maya, Garífuna and Xinca Indigenous Peoples, or Creole (Afrodescendants). The Maya can be further divided into 24 groups: the

Indigenous World 2020: Mexico

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

There are 68 different Indigenous Peoples that inhabit Mexican territory, each of which speaks a native language of their own. These languages form 11 linguistic families, comprised by 364 dialectal variants. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 25.7 million

Indigenous World 2020: Nicaragua

Written by IWGIA Assistant on 11 May 2020.

There are seven Indigenous Peoples in Nicaragua: the Chorotega (221,000), Cacaopera or Matagalpa (97,500), Ocanxiu or Sutiaba (49,000) and Nahoa or Náhuatl (20,000) who live in the centre and north of the Pacific region, and the Mískitu (150,000), Sumu or Mayangna (27,000) and Rama (2,000) who

Documentación

Written by Katie Steele on 08 September 2017.

Nuestra labor de documentación está vinculada a nuestro trabajo de promover y defender los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas.

IWGIA monitorea y documenta el estado de los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas a nivel global y produce publicaciones, informes basados en hechos que sirven de

Organización

Written by Katie Steele on 08 September 2017.

Aquí puedes conocer mejor nuestra organización:

¿Quiénes somos?

Written by Katie Steele on 08 September 2017.

IWGIA es una organización global de derechos humanos dedicada a promover y defender los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas.

Desde 1968, IWGIA ha cooperado con organizaciones indígenas e instituciones internacionales para

Mundo Indígena

Written by Katie Steele on 08 September 2017.

Cada año informamos sobre la situación de los Pueblos Indígenas en todo el mundo. Nuestro anuario, El Mundo Indígena, documenta el estado de los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas en países de todos los continentes, con informes exhaustivos elaborados por expertos,