section_path: Demographics/Ethnic groups
section_name: Ethnic groups
paragraph_text: Ethnic groups
  
  The ROC government reports that 95 percent of the population is ethnically Han Chinese. There are also 2.4 percent indigenous Austronesian peoples and 2.6 percent new immigrants primarily from China and Southeast Asia.
  
  Most Han Taiwanese are descended from the Hoklo people, native to the coastal regions of southern Fujian, and the Hakka people, native to eastern Guangdong. Hoklo and Hakka migrants arrived in large numbers during the 17th and 18th century. Descendants of Hoklo now compose approximately 70 percent of Taiwan's population. Descendants of Hakka make up about 15 percent of the population. Another minority group, called waishengren, comprises those who arrived from China during the 1940s or are descended from them. Genetic studies indicate that the Han people in Taiwan are closer to southern Chinese compared to northern Chinese and, similar to several other groups of Han Chinese, had mixed with Island Southeast Asians, likely before their migration to Taiwan.
  
  Taiwanese Indigenous peoples number about 584,000, and the government recognises 16 groups. The Ami, Atayal, Bunun, Kanakanavu, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Saaroa, Sakizaya, Sediq, Thao, Truku and Tsou live mostly in the eastern half of the island, while the Yami inhabit Orchid Island.