Argentines, also known as Argentinians or Argentineans, are people associated with Argentina. These ties may be legal, historical, ancestral, or cultural. For most Argentines, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their Argentine identity.
Argentina is a multiethnic society, home to people of various ethnic, racial, religious, denomination, and national origins, with the majority of the population made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. As a result, Argentines do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Argentina. Aside from the indigenous population, nearly all Argentines or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. Among countries in the world that have received the most immigrants in modern history, Argentina, with 6.6 million, ranks second to the United States (27 million), and ahead of other immigrant destinations such as Canada, Brazil, and Australia.
It is estimated that between 79.4% to 85% of Argentina's population are whites (predominantly European or Levantine ancestry), while mestizos (mixed European and Amerindian ancestry without predominance) constitute between 10.7% to 16.3%; according to the 2022 census, indigenous (predominantly Amerindian ancestry) make up 2.8%, while blacks account 0.7% (predominantly African ancestry). Regardless of predominant ancestry, it is estimated that between 30% and 56% of Argentines have at least one Amerindian ancestor, and between 4% and 6% have at least one African ancestor.
Ethnic groups
Overview
Argentina is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic, racial, religious, and denominational backgrounds. Argentina is a melting pot of different peoples."Enrique Oteiza and Susana Novick maintain that "Argentina since the 19th century has become, as have New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Brazil, UAE, and Singapore, a "land of immigrants", meaning a society formed by massive immigration from a minute native population". (Oteiza, Enrique; Novick, Susana. Inmigración y derechos humanos. Política y discursos en el tramo final del menemismo . [en línea]. Buenos Aires: Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 2000 [Citado FECHA]. (IIGG Documentos de Trabajo, Nº 14). Available on: http://www.iigg.fsoc.uba.ar/docs/dt/dt14.pdf); "The Brazilian anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro places Argentina in a group of "transplanted countries" with Uruguay, Canada, and United States. (Ribeiro, Darcy. Las Américas y la Civilización (1985). Buenos Aires: EUDEBA, pp. 449 ss.); The Argentine historian José Luis Romero defines Argentina as a 'flood country'". (Romero, José Luis. «Indicación sobre la situación de las masas en Argentina (1951)», en La experiencia argentina y otros ensayos, Buenos Aires: Universidad de Belgrano, 1980, p. 64).
In the mid-19th century a large wave of immigration started to arrive in Argentina due to new Constitutional policies that encouraged immigration, and issues in the countries the immigrants came from, such as wars, poverty, hunger, and famines. The main immigration sources were from Europe, the countries from the Near and the Middle East, Russia, and Japan. Eventually, Argentina became the country with the second-largest number of immigrants in the period, with 6.6 million, second only to the United States with 27 million.
Therefore, most Argentines have some European ancestry (with a significant indigenous component, and a less prominent black component), and are either descendants of colonial-era settlers and/or of the 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe.
The most common ethnic groups are Europeans (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and/or Mestizos (mixed European and Native American ancestry). According to Argentine government websites, it is estimated that more than 20 million Argentines, more than 46% of the total population, have Italian ancestry, wholly or in part. Argentines descend mostly from Spaniards, Italians, Native Americans and to a lesser extent from French, Germans, East Asians, and others.
Immigration of recent decades includes mainly Paraguayans, Bolivians, Peruvians, and Brazilians, among other Latin Americans, Eastern Europeans, Africans, Arabs, and Asians.
+ Results of the ethno-racial censuses of Argentina 1778–2022Year White(Europe andWest Asia)Native(The Americas)Mestizo(Multiracial)Mulatto(Multiracial)Black(Sub-Sahara)East Asian(Far East) Total 1778 37.54% 22.33% 3.31% 36.82% 185,920 2001 1.66% 36,260,130 2010 2.38% 0.37% 40,117,096 2022 2.83% 0.66% 46,044,703
In the 1778 census, mulattoes were included in the "Black" category despite having up to 50% White admixture.
Genetics studies
Large comprehensive studies across Argentina's many regions in order to characterize the genetic admixture have been lacking. Small sample size studies give the following composition.
Corach et al., 2011, Genetic Structure of Argentina:, 52% Amerindian ancestry in the Center region, 56% Ameridian in the South-Southwest y 66% Amerindian in the North-Northeast. On average, 36.4% of the population does not have any Amerindian ancestry. Homburguer et al., 2015, PLOS One Genetics: 67% European, 28% Amerindian, 4% African and 1.4% Asian. Olivas et al., 2017, Nature: 84,1% predominantly European ancestry and 12,8% predominanty Amerindian ancestry. Seldin et al., 2006, American Journal of Physical Anthropology: 78.0% European, 19.4% Amerindian and 2.5% African. Using other methods it was found that it could be: 80.2% European, 18.1% Amerindian and 1.7% African. Genera (2022): 85% Caucasian (74% European + 11% Middle East), 13% Amerindian and 1% African. According to Caputo et al., 2021, The X-DIPs matrilineal show 52.9% European, 39.6% Amerindian and 7.5% African. The study of autosomal DIPs show that the genetic contribution is 77.8% European, 17.9% Amerindian and 4.2% African. Avena et al., 2012, PLOS One Genetics: 65% European, 31% Amerindian, and 4% African. Buenos Aires Province: 76% European and 24% others. South Zone (Chubut Province): 54% European and 46% others. Northeast Zone (Misiones, Corrientes, Chaco & Formosa provinces): 54% European and 46% others. Northwest Zone (Salta Province): 33% European and 67% others. Other studies indicate that the genetic composition between regions would be: Central Zone: 81% European, 15% Amerindian and 4% African South Zone: 68% European, 28% Amerindian and 4% African Northeast Zone: 79% European, 17% Amerindian and 4% African Northwest Zone: 55% European, 35% Amerindian and 10% African Corach et al.,. 2010, Annals of Human Genetics: 78.5% European, 17.3% Amerindian, and 4.2% African ancestry. Oliveira, 2008, on Universidade de Brasília: 60% European, 31% Amerindian and 9% African. National Geographic: 61% Caucasian (52% European + 9% Middle East/North Africa), 27% Amerindian ancestry and 9% African.
A team led by Daniel Corach conducted a study in 2010, analyzing 246 samples from eight provinces and three different regions of the country. The results were as follows: Mitochondrial DNA analysis again showed a great Amerindian contribution by maternal lineage, at 53.7%, with 44.3% of European contribution, and a 2% African contribution. The analysis of Y-Chromosome DNA revealed a 94.1% of European contribution, and only 4.9% and 0.9% of Native American and Black African contribution, respectively. The study of 24 autosomal markers also proved a large European contribution of 78.5%, against 17.3% of Amerindian and 4.2% Black African contributions.
Several studies found out that the European ancestry in Argentina comes mainly from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy with a much lower contribution from Central and Northern Europe. The Italian component appears strongest in the East and Center-West, while the Spanish influence dominates in the North East and North West.
European Argentines
Argentines of partial European include the Argentine descendants of colonists from Spain during the colonial period prior to 1810,Historical Dictionary of Argentina. London: Scarecrow Press, 1978. pp. 239–40. and mainly of immigrants from Europe in the great immigratory wave from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. No recent Argentine census has included comprehensive questions on ethnicity, although numerous studies have determined that European Argentines have been a majority in the country since 1914.
The most numerous immigrant European communities are: Spaniards (including Basques, Asturians and Galicians), Italians (62.5% of the population have some degree of Italian descent), Germans, Scandinavians (mainly Danes and Swedes), Slavs (including Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Czechs, Bulgarians, Slovenes, Serbs and Croats), Finns, the French (including francophone Basques), the Irish, Portuguese, the Dutch, among others in smaller number.
There are approximately 300,000 Romani descendants in Argentina. They belong to the Romani subgroups Greek, Moldavian and Russian Kalderash, some Lovari and some Chilean Xoraxane. There are also Spanish Kalé and Boyash living in Argentina.
Mixed Argentines
Within the population totals, there may be an imprecise amount of mixed population. In one of the most comprehensive genetic studies involving the population of Argentina, 441 Argentines from across the North East, Salta, Chubut and Buenos Aires (especially the urban conglomeration of Buenos Aires) of the country, it was observed that the sample population comprised on average of 65% European, followed by 31% Amerindian, and finally 4% of African ancestry; however, this study was unweighted and meant to be a representation of the diversity of Argentine DNA rather than a demonstration of the average ethnic composition of the country. It was also found there were great differences in the ancestry amongst Argentines as one traveled across the country. A study by Daniel Corach that attempted to find the average Argentine ancestry by weighing the population of various regions gave a significantly higher estimate of European ancestry at 78.5% of the average Argentine's autosomal DNA.
Indigenous Argentines
Argentina has 35 officially recognized indigenous people groups. As of the , some 955,032 Argentines (2.38% of the country's population) self-identify as indigenous or first-generation descendants of indigenous peoples.
The most populous indigenous groups were the Aonikenk, Kolla, Qom, Wichí, Diaguita, Mocoví, Huarpe peoples, Mapuche and Guarani Many Argentines also identify as having at least one indigenous ancestor; a genetic study conducted by the University of Buenos Aires in 2011 showed that 56% of the 320 Argentines sampled were shown to have at least one indigenous ancestor in one parental lineage and around 11% had indigenous ancestors in both parental lineages. Other studies suggest that figure could be 30%.
Jujuy Province, in the Argentine Northwest, is home to the highest percentage of households (15%) with at least one indigenous resident or a direct descendant of an indigenous person; Chubut and Neuquén Provinces, in Patagonia, have upwards of 12%.Indec. Porcentaje de hogares por provincia que se reconoce descendiente de un pueblo indígena
Asian Argentines
Argentines of Asian ancestry are defined as either born within Argentina, or born elsewhere and later to become a citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, West Asian immigrants, primarily from Lebanon and Syria came as a result of the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war. In the early 20th century, a small wave of East Asian immigrants, particularly from Japan came to the country.
East Asians Argentines