section_path: Demographics/Population/Ethnic groups
section_name: Ethnic groups
paragraph_text: Ethnic groups
  
  In Morocco, ethnic identity is deeply intertwined with language and culture, with the population primarily comprising two major groups: Arabs and Berbers. However, the Higher Planning Commission, the country's state statistics bureau, does not collect data on ethnic demographics, citing the historical difficulty of distinguishing between Arabs and Berbers, even among Berber speakers.
  
  Arabs form the largest and majority ethnic group, making up between 65% and 80% of the Moroccan population. It is estimated that the indigenous Berbers constitute between 30% and 35% of the population. Berbers, who are also known as Amazigh, are typically divided into three main groups with varying dialects who live spread out in rural mountain areas, namely the Rifians in the Rif, the Central Atlas Amazigh in the Middle Atlas, and the Shilha people in the Anti-Atlas. Since the 7th century, the influx of Arab migrants from the Arabian Peninsula has contributed to shaping Morocco's demographic, cultural, and genetic landscape. Additionally, a considerable portion of the population includes Haratin, Sahrawis, and Gnawa, descendants of West African or mixed-race enslaved peoples, as well as Moriscos, European Muslims expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 17th century.
  
  According to Encyclopædia Britannica, 44% of Moroccans are Arab, 24% are Arabized Berbers, 21% are Berbers and 10% are Mauritanian Moors. Additionally, Minority Rights Group International estimates that around 90,000 Sahrawis reside in internationally recognized Morocco, compared to approximately 190,000 in the disputed Western Sahara.