Ethnic groups in the Middle East

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Ethnic groups in the Middle East are ethnolinguistic groupings in the "transcontinental" region that is commonly a geopolitical term designating the intercontinental region comprising West Asia (including Cyprus) without the South Caucasus,{{citation|title=The Middle East|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Middle-East|website=britannica.com|date=21 September 2023 }} and also comprising Egypt in North Africa. The Middle East has historically been a crossroad of different cultures and languages.{{citation|url=https://www.su.se/english/education/all-subjects/middle-eastern-languages-and-cultures-1.426272?expEduItemPacks=&expEduItems=&open-collapse-boxes=|title=Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures|website=su.se}} Since the 1960s, the changes in political and economic factors (especially the enormous oil wealth in the region and conflicts) have significantly altered the ethnic composition of groups in the region. While some ethnic groups have been present in the region for millennia, others have arrived fairly recently through immigration. The largest socioethnic groups in the region are Egyptians,{{Cite web |title=Egypt (12/01) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/egypt/10845.htm |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=U.S. Department of State}} Arabs, Turks, Persians, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SPBfnT_E1mgC&pg=PA16 |title=Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia|isbn=9781598843620 |access-date=26 May 2014 |last1=Shoup |first1=John A. |date=17 October 2011 |publisher=Abc-Clio }} but there are dozens of other ethnic groups that have hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of members.

Other indigenous, religious, or minority ethnic groups include: Antiochians, Armenians, Assyrians, Arameans in the Qalamoun Mountains,{{cite book |title=اثرنا في الايقليم السوري |date=1960 |page=56 |language=Arabic |quote=السريان في معلولا وجبعدين ولا يزال الأهلون فيها يتكلمون (The Syriacs in Maaloula and Jubb'adin still speak their language.…)}}{{cite book |title=Western Neo-Aramaic The Dialect of Jubaadin |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |page=2 |language=English, Arabic |quote=Jubaadinis are very proud of their language and their Aramean identity and they have no trouble at all balancing their religious and ethnic identities.…}}"…The city of Jubaadin in Syria, which is close to Maaloula, is inhabited by Aramaic-speaking people who are Syriac Arameans…", translated quote from the Arabic book (Atlas of Religions) معلولا السريانThe Semitic Heritage of Northwest Syria, p. 271"…Maaloula Syriacs have maintained their Syriac identity since ancient times, and there is ample evidence of their Syriac heritage, especially in Maaloula, Ain Tineh, Bakhah, and Jubaadin…", translated quote from the book إلياس أنطون نصر الله في معلولا, p. 45{{cite web | url=http://friendsofmaaloula.de/en/ | title=Hilfe für das Aramäerdorf Maaloula e.V. | an aid project in Syria }} Baloch, Copts, Druze, Gilaks, Greeks (including Cypriots and Pontians), Jews, Kawliya, Laz, Lurs, Mandaeans, Maronites, Mazanderanis, Mhallami, Nawar, Samaritans, Shabaks, Talysh, Tats, Yazidis and Zazas.

Diaspora ethnic groups living in the region include: Albanians, Bengalis, Britons, Bosniaks, Chinese, Circassians, Crimean Tatars, Filipinos, French people, Georgians, Indians, Indonesians, Italians, Malays, Malayali, Pakistanis, Pashtuns, Punjabis, Romanians, Romani, Serbs, Sikhs, Sindhis, Somalis, Sri Lankans, Turkmens, and sub-Saharan Africans.