Fifty-four ethnic groups in Vietnam have been officially recognized by the Vietnamese government since 2 March 1979. Each ethnicity has its own unique language, traditions, and culture. The largest ethnic groups are: Kinh (Viet) 85.32%, Tày 1.92%, Thái 1.89%, Mðá»Âng 1.51%, Hmong 1.45%, Khmer 1.32%, Nùng 1.13%, Dao 0.93%, Hoa 0.78%, with all others accounting for the remaining 3.7% (2019 census). The Vietnamese terms for ethnicity are dân tá»Âc and sắc tá»Âc.
The total population of Vietnam was 96,208,984 according to the 2019 census.
Many of the local ethnic groups residing in mountain areas are known collectively in the West as Montagnard or Degar. One distinctive feature of highland ethnic minority groups in Vietnam is that they are colorfully attired whether at home, in the farm, traveling or in their hometown.
Foreign expatriate workers are a small portion of the population, some settling permanently or through marriage. Many are migrants from neighboring Asian countries like China, though some are from the west. Today, 2,700 Americans live in Vietnam. Some descend from the French and other Europeans during the protectorate period of the Nguyá» n dynasty. However, most European descendants left after the August Revolution and the establishment of republican governments in Vietnam.