Demographics of Abkhazia
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Abkhazia
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level
, health
, socioeconomic status
, religious affiliations
and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Abkhazia were very strongly affected by the 1992-1993 War with Georgia
, which saw the expulsion and flight of over half of the republic's population, measuring 525,061 in the 1989 census. The ethnic composition of Abkhazia in past and current times plays a central role in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.
Encyclopædia Britannica
estimates the population in 2007 at 180,000 and the International Crisis Group
estimates Abkhazia's total population in 2006 to be between 157,000 and 190,000 (or between 180,000 and 220,000 as estimated by UNDP in 1998).
The size of Abkhazia's population more than halved due to the 1992-1993 war - at the time of the 1989 census it had measured 525,061.
, Georgians
(mostly Mingrelians
), Hamshemin Armenians
, and Russians
. Prior to the war, ethnic Georgians made up 45.7% of Abkhazia's population, however, by 1993, most Georgians and some Russians and Armenians had fled Abkhazia or had been ethnically cleansed
.
, 3,558 Georgians, 2,757 Greeks
, 1,090 Armenians
, 1,090 Russians
, 637 Estonians
. Samurzaq'ano is a present-day Gali district
of Abkhazia. The ethnicity of Samurzaq'anoans is disputed. The Family Lists compile additional summary tables, and in these, Samurzaq’anoans are not listed, but the number of Abkhaz in Kutaisi province is given as 60,432. In Batumi district (which was part of Kutaisi province) 1,469 Abkhaz were listed. Thus 58,963 remain—clearly, these are the Abkhaz plus the Samurzaq’anoans in Sukhum district. Nowadays Samurzaq'anoans are assimilated with Mingrelians.
According to the 1897 census
there were 58,697 people in Abkhazia who listed Abkhaz as their mother tongue, 23,810 people listed Mingrelian as their mother tongue, 1,971 people listed Georgian (including Imeretian dialect) as their mother tongue. The population of the Sukhumi district (Abkhazia) was about 100,000 at that time. Greeks, Russians and Armenians composed 3.5%, 2% and 1.5% of the district's population. By the end of the nineteenth century, Abkhazians made up slightly more than 53% of the population of Abkhazia. According to the 1917 agricultural census organized by the Russian Provisional Government
, Georgians and Abkhaz composed 41.7% (54,760) and 30,4% (39,915) of the rural population of Abkhazia respectively. At that time Gagra and its vicinity were not part of Abkhazia.
During the Soviet Union, the Russian, Armenian, Greek and Georgian population grew faster than the Abkhaz, due to the large-scale migration enforced especially under the rule of Stalin and Lavrenty Beria, who himself was a Georgian
born in Abkhazia.
In 2008 almost all of the circa 2000 Svans in the upper Kodori Valley fled Abkhazia when this tract of land was conquered
by the Abkhazian army during the August war
. The Abkhazian authorities have appealed for the Svan refugees to return, but by late March 2009 only 130 people continued to live in the upper Kodori Valley.
The Abkhazian government has been trying to attract members of Abkhaz diaspora (mainly in Turkey). Abkhaz officials claim about 2,000 people returned to Abkhazia since the early 1990s.
The following tables summarise the results of the censuses carried out in Abkhazia.
!Year
!Samurzaq’anoans
!Abkhaz
!Mingrelians
!Greeks
!Armenians
!Russians
!Estonians
!Georgians
!Total
|-
|1886 Family Lists
| align="center" |44.6%
(30,640)
| align="center" |41.2%
(28,323)
| align="center" |5.2%
(3,558)
| align="center" |3.1%
(2,149)
| align="center" |1.6%
(1,090)
| align="center" |1.6%
(1,090)
| align="center" |0,9%
(637)
| align="center" |0.9%
(608)
|68,773
|}>
!Year
!Georgians
!Abkhaz
!Russians
!Armenians
!Greeks
!Total
|-
|1926 Census
| align="center" |33.6%
(67,494)
| align="center" |27.3%
(55,918)
| align="center" |6.7%
(12,553)
| align="center" |12.8%
(25,677)
| align="center" |7.6%
(14,045)
|201,016
|-
|1939 Census
| align="center" |29.5%
(91,967)
| align="center" |18.0%
(56,197)
| align="center" |19.3%
(60,201)
| align="center" |15.9%
(49,705)
| align="center" |11.1%
(34,621)
|311,885
|-
|1959 Census
| align="center" |39.1%
(158,221)
| align="center" |15.1%
(61,193)
| align="center" |21.4%
(86,715)
| align="center" |15.9%
(64,425)
| align="center" |2.2%
(9,101)
|404,738
|-
|1970 Census
| align="center" |41.0%
(199,596)
| align="center" |15.9%
(77,276)
| align="center" |19.1%
(92,889)
| align="center" |15.4%
(74,850)
| align="center" |2.7%
(13,114)
|486,959
|-
|1979 Census
| align="center" |43.9%
(213,322)
| align="center" |17.1%
(83,087)
| align="center" |16.4%
(79,730)
| align="center" |15.1%
(73,350)
| align="center" |2.8%
(13,642)
|486,082
|-
|1989 Census
| align="center" |45.7%
(239,872)
| align="center" |17.8%
(93,267)
| align="center" |14.3%
(74,913)
| align="center" |14.6%
(76,541)
| align="center" |2.8%
(14,664)
|525,061
|-
|2003 Census
| align="center" |21.3%
(45,953)
| align="center" |43.8%
(94,606)
| align="center" |10.8%
(23,420)
| align="center" |20.8%
(44,870)
| align="center" |0.7%
(1,486)
|215,972
|}>
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation...
, religious affiliations
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Abkhazia were very strongly affected by the 1992-1993 War with Georgia
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side and Abkhaz separatist forces supporting independence of Abkhazia from Georgia on the other side. Ethnic Georgians, who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces...
, which saw the expulsion and flight of over half of the republic's population, measuring 525,061 in the 1989 census. The ethnic composition of Abkhazia in past and current times plays a central role in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.
Size
The exact present size of Abkhazia's population is unclear. According to the census carried out in 2003 it measured 215,972 people, but this is contested by Georgian authorities. The Department of Statistics of Georgia estimated Abkhazia's population to be approximately 179,000 in 2003, and 178,000 in 2005 (the last year when such estimates were published in Georgia).Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
estimates the population in 2007 at 180,000 and the International Crisis Group
International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world through field-based analyses and high-level advocacy.-History:...
estimates Abkhazia's total population in 2006 to be between 157,000 and 190,000 (or between 180,000 and 220,000 as estimated by UNDP in 1998).
The size of Abkhazia's population more than halved due to the 1992-1993 war - at the time of the 1989 census it had measured 525,061.
Ethnic composition
The population of Abkhazia remains ethnically very diverse, even after the 1992-1993 War. At present the population of Abkhazia is mainly made up of ethnic AbkhazAbkhaz people
The Abkhaz or Abkhazians are a Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. A large Abkhazian diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the emigration from the Caucasus in the late 19th century known as Muhajirism...
, Georgians
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
(mostly Mingrelians
Mingrelians
The Mingrelians are a subethnic group of Georgians that mostly live in Samegrelo region of Georgia. They also live in considerable numbers in Abkhazia and Tbilisi...
), Hamshemin Armenians
Armenians in Abkhazia
The Armenians in Abkhazia form the second largest ethnic group in the region of Abkhazia after the Abkhaz. Armenians settled in Abkhazia in late 19th and the early 20th centuries and are now the largest ethnic group in Gagra, Sukhumi and Gulripsh districts forming 20% of the Abkhazian population...
, and Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
. Prior to the war, ethnic Georgians made up 45.7% of Abkhazia's population, however, by 1993, most Georgians and some Russians and Armenians had fled Abkhazia or had been ethnically cleansed
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Massacres of Georgians in Abkhazia and Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia — refers to ethnic cleansing, massacres and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict...
.
Historical developments
The earliest reliable records for Abkhazia are the Family Lists compiled in 1886 (published 1893 in Tbilisi), according to which the Sukhumi District's population was 68,773, of which 30,640 were Samurzaq'anoans, 28,323 AbkhazAbkhaz people
The Abkhaz or Abkhazians are a Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. A large Abkhazian diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the emigration from the Caucasus in the late 19th century known as Muhajirism...
, 3,558 Georgians, 2,757 Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, 1,090 Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, 1,090 Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, 637 Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
. Samurzaq'ano is a present-day Gali district
Gali district
Gali district is a district of Abkhazia. Its capital is Gali, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the eponymous one in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli District, formed by de facto Abkhaz authorities in 1995.Gali...
of Abkhazia. The ethnicity of Samurzaq'anoans is disputed. The Family Lists compile additional summary tables, and in these, Samurzaq’anoans are not listed, but the number of Abkhaz in Kutaisi province is given as 60,432. In Batumi district (which was part of Kutaisi province) 1,469 Abkhaz were listed. Thus 58,963 remain—clearly, these are the Abkhaz plus the Samurzaq’anoans in Sukhum district. Nowadays Samurzaq'anoans are assimilated with Mingrelians.
According to the 1897 census
Russian Empire Census
The Russian Imperial Census of 1897 was the first and the only census carried out in the Russian Empire . It recorded demographic data as of ....
there were 58,697 people in Abkhazia who listed Abkhaz as their mother tongue, 23,810 people listed Mingrelian as their mother tongue, 1,971 people listed Georgian (including Imeretian dialect) as their mother tongue. The population of the Sukhumi district (Abkhazia) was about 100,000 at that time. Greeks, Russians and Armenians composed 3.5%, 2% and 1.5% of the district's population. By the end of the nineteenth century, Abkhazians made up slightly more than 53% of the population of Abkhazia. According to the 1917 agricultural census organized by the Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
, Georgians and Abkhaz composed 41.7% (54,760) and 30,4% (39,915) of the rural population of Abkhazia respectively. At that time Gagra and its vicinity were not part of Abkhazia.
During the Soviet Union, the Russian, Armenian, Greek and Georgian population grew faster than the Abkhaz, due to the large-scale migration enforced especially under the rule of Stalin and Lavrenty Beria, who himself was a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
born in Abkhazia.
In 2008 almost all of the circa 2000 Svans in the upper Kodori Valley fled Abkhazia when this tract of land was conquered
Battle of the Kodori Valley
The Battle of Kodori Valley was a military operation in the Upper Kodori Valley, during the 2008 South Ossetia war, the only part of Abkhazia, which remained under Georgian control after the War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993. Hostilities started, during the 2008 South Ossetia war, the Abkhazian...
by the Abkhazian army during the August war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
. The Abkhazian authorities have appealed for the Svan refugees to return, but by late March 2009 only 130 people continued to live in the upper Kodori Valley.
The Abkhazian government has been trying to attract members of Abkhaz diaspora (mainly in Turkey). Abkhaz officials claim about 2,000 people returned to Abkhazia since the early 1990s.
The following tables summarise the results of the censuses carried out in Abkhazia.
!Samurzaq’anoans
!Abkhaz
Abkhaz
Abkhaz and Abkhazian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Abkhazia, a de facto independent region with partial recognition as a sovereign state, otherwise recognized as part of Georgia...
!Mingrelians
Mingrelians
The Mingrelians are a subethnic group of Georgians that mostly live in Samegrelo region of Georgia. They also live in considerable numbers in Abkhazia and Tbilisi...
!Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
!Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
!Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
!Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
!Georgians
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
!Total
|-
|1886 Family Lists
| align="center" |44.6%
(30,640)
| align="center" |41.2%
(28,323)
| align="center" |5.2%
(3,558)
| align="center" |3.1%
(2,149)
| align="center" |1.6%
(1,090)
| align="center" |1.6%
(1,090)
| align="center" |0,9%
(637)
| align="center" |0.9%
(608)
|68,773
|}>
!Georgians
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
!Abkhaz
Abkhaz
Abkhaz and Abkhazian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Abkhazia, a de facto independent region with partial recognition as a sovereign state, otherwise recognized as part of Georgia...
!Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
!Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
!Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
!Total
|-
|1926 Census
| align="center" |33.6%
(67,494)
| align="center" |27.3%
(55,918)
| align="center" |6.7%
(12,553)
| align="center" |12.8%
(25,677)
| align="center" |7.6%
(14,045)
|201,016
|-
|1939 Census
| align="center" |29.5%
(91,967)
| align="center" |18.0%
(56,197)
| align="center" |19.3%
(60,201)
| align="center" |15.9%
(49,705)
| align="center" |11.1%
(34,621)
|311,885
|-
|1959 Census
| align="center" |39.1%
(158,221)
| align="center" |15.1%
(61,193)
| align="center" |21.4%
(86,715)
| align="center" |15.9%
(64,425)
| align="center" |2.2%
(9,101)
|404,738
|-
|1970 Census
| align="center" |41.0%
(199,596)
| align="center" |15.9%
(77,276)
| align="center" |19.1%
(92,889)
| align="center" |15.4%
(74,850)
| align="center" |2.7%
(13,114)
|486,959
|-
|1979 Census
| align="center" |43.9%
(213,322)
| align="center" |17.1%
(83,087)
| align="center" |16.4%
(79,730)
| align="center" |15.1%
(73,350)
| align="center" |2.8%
(13,642)
|486,082
|-
|1989 Census
| align="center" |45.7%
(239,872)
| align="center" |17.8%
(93,267)
| align="center" |14.3%
(74,913)
| align="center" |14.6%
(76,541)
| align="center" |2.8%
(14,664)
|525,061
|-
|2003 Census
| align="center" |21.3%
(45,953)
| align="center" |43.8%
(94,606)
| align="center" |10.8%
(23,420)
| align="center" |20.8%
(44,870)
| align="center" |0.7%
(1,486)
|215,972
|}>
See also
- Demographics of GeorgiaDemographics of GeorgiaThe Demographics of Georgia is about the demographic features of the population of Georgia, including population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population....
- Armenians in AbkhaziaArmenians in AbkhaziaThe Armenians in Abkhazia form the second largest ethnic group in the region of Abkhazia after the Abkhaz. Armenians settled in Abkhazia in late 19th and the early 20th centuries and are now the largest ethnic group in Gagra, Sukhumi and Gulripsh districts forming 20% of the Abkhazian population...
- History of the Jews in AbkhaziaHistory of the Jews in AbkhaziaThe Jewish population of Abkhazia consisted of Ashkenazi, Georgian and other Jews. It grew after the incorporation of Abkhazia into the Russian Empire in the middle of 19th century...
- Afro-AbkhaziansAfro-AbkhaziansAbkhazians of African descent are a small group in Abkhazia of African descent who used to live mainly in the Abkhazian settlement Adzyubzha at the mouth of the Kodori River and the surrounding villages of Abkhazia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.-Hypotheses:The ethnic origin of the...