In this article, we take a look at the 25 most homogenous countries in the world. If you would like to skip our detailed analysis of why diversity is important, you may directly go to the 5 Most Homogenous Countries in the World.
The 2020 US census report revealed almost 1,500 different race and ethnicity groups, as well as native tribes, in the US alone; data for the entire world goes up to tens of thousands of groups, according to some reports. The exact number of ethnic groups in the world depends on the elements on which the groups are differentiated, as some researchers may neglect minor differences while others may not.
The prevalence of various groups is referred to as ethnic or cultural fractionalization, or more commonly as diversity. The latter term paints a positive picture, whereas the former two showcase a notion of divisiveness. Whether diversity or homogeneity are virtues or vices depends on the lens used to evaluate these elements. When it comes to the most mixed countries in the world, Uganda and Libera come out on top, with ethnical fractionalization of 93% and 91%, respectively. Madagascar follows closely behind at 88%. It comes as no surprise that the top genetically diverse countries in the world are African since Africa is the most genetically diverse region in the world.
While diversity may result in some form of partisan conflict between different ethnic or racial groups, individuals in the most advanced economies of the world consider diversity to be a positive element of society. In countries like New Zealand and Australia, almost eight in ten people believe that the presence of different ethnic groups improves society as a whole. Developed economies also take the major share of the most multicultural cities. These include New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Amsterdam, among others.
People who live in more diverse societies are also much less likely to be prejudiced towards ethnic and racial groups other than their own. In addition to improving perceptions and social behaviors, diversity presents economic benefits that the least diverse countries often miss out on.
A long-term analysis of the relationship between migration trends and the economy found that countries attracting immigrants from diverse origins over the past century possess much richer economies than most homogenous countries. However, the condition also comes with a caveat. Fractionalization only benefits the economy if the diverse groups develop good communication with each other, or in other words, exhibit low polarization. Due to this disadvantageous factor accompanying diversity, some of the most homogenous countries in the world also perform well in terms of economics. Other studies have found that homogeneity may improve elements like delegation and coordination. Hence, the outcome depends on the society as to what they do with the ethnic groups they get over time.
While researchers continue pondering over the question of homogeneity versus diversification, it cannot be denied that immigration has enabled the US economy to attract competitive individuals from all over the world. A LinkedIn study discovered that organizations in the top quartile for ethnic diversity have a more than 36% chance of financially outperforming their peer companies.
The same study also inferred that diverse companies earn a 2.5x higher cash flow per employee, and diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time. Within Silicon Valley itself, 52% of the startups were founded by at least one immigrant on the founding team, whereas 45% of the total labor force comprises immigrant workers. Ethnic diversity has reaped enormous benefits for the US economy, and it is evident by these percentages.
However, while the statistics all point towards the benefits of diversity programs, not all companies are implementing diversity policies to the extent that their employees want them to. In a Glassdoor study, more than 50% of the respondents said that their companies should be doing more to increase diversity. Moreover, the Washington Post once found that in the 50 most valuable public companies in the country, only 8% of the top executives were black. From these numbers, it is evident that even though diversity offers a huge benefit to companies in the US, not all of them are making full use of this potential. Many social scientists may regard this as wasting the advantages of diversity that are not available to the most homogenous countries in the world.
Amid that, certain companies have managed to make the best out of their diversity programs. In its 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Report, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) revealed that ethnic and racial minorities comprise 53.2% of the company’s core workforce in the US. A director at Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) mentioned that hiring diverse talent has enabled them to add multiple innovations to their technological products and services. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) is investing $150 million in training programs for ethnic minorities, which elaborates on the importance of diversity for the company.
A similar trend can be witnessed at Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:GOOGL), the company behind the biggest search engine in the US. In its 2023 report on Diversity & Inclusion, Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:GOOGL) lauded itself for reaching its Racial Equity Commitment by increasing black, Latinx, and Native American leadership by 30%. The racial equity goals within the company have a spillover effect as well.
Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has multiple ongoing funding efforts for organizations fighting for racial justice. The presence of various ethnic groups within the workplace can make companies much more aware of their circumstances, thus furthering mutual understanding and empathy. You can also look at the 15 Most Diverse Companies in the US to see how other corporations are benefiting from diversity.
However, these case studies, in no way, mean that the most monoethnic countries in the world are bound to lag behind in terms of economies and innovation. Many social science researchers have also argued that homogenous countries are easier to govern and tend to gain a strategic economic advantage over their peers. Some may even say that ethnic diversity divides the nation into ‘parallel societies’, which find it challenging to integrate with each other. However, the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all ethnic model for countries. By looking at some of the most homogenous countries in the world, we can try to evaluate whether the lack of diversity has benefitted them in any way or caused them disadvantages.
Also check out 20 Most Socially Advanced Countries in the World.
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Our Methodology
In order to rank the 25 most homogenous countries in the world, we have utilized research by Stanford University that points out ethnic and cultural diversity by country. Based on a detailed methodology to test societies for ethnic and cultural fractionalization. The smaller the value assigned to a country, the lower the level of cultural or ethnic fractionalization in the country. Going by this methodology, here are the 25 most homogenous countries worldwide:
25. Jamaica
Value: 0.166
Even though Jamaica was a central hub for trans-Atlantic colonialism, the country possesses a reasonably homogenous population today. More than 90% of the population identifies as black, even if they may come from a diverse ethnic background. Considering this trend, class discrimination has become a much-researched topic within the country.
24. Egypt
Value: 0.164
Today, 95% of the Egyptian population is made up of Arabs, and the largest minority group is known as the Copts. Both of these ethnicities are said to have descended from the same ancestor, which, according to recent research, may be the cause of high rare disease development in the country. Hence, being one of the most homogenous countries in the world has presented Egypt with some disadvantages.
23. Philippines
Value: 0.164
In terms of culture, the Philippines is regarded as a unique blend of diversity and homogeneity. The country has remained under Western rule for four centuries, which has definitely left an impact by assimilating Western culture into the broader society. But in addition to that, the state government has also made massive efforts to preserve the Asian heritage of the society.
22. China
Value: 0.154
China projects a high value of racial homogeneity, but some ethnic experts believe that the idea of ethnic homogeneity within the country may be a myth that stems from coercive efforts to homogenize the population. Regardless of that, China is widely perceived as one of the most homogenous countries in the world, with the ‘Han’ making up 92% of the population. The country has 56 official ethnic groups.
21. Libya
Value: 0.151
Libya is characterized by two main elements: natural resources and cultural homogeneity. 97% of the population comprises Arabs and Berbers, and yet Libya continues to see massive periods of conflict due to various groups involved in a power tussle. The ongoing clashes in the country showcase that despite being one of the least diverse countries on the planet, Libya is plagued by problems of a different kind, those that transcend ethnic or religious lines.
20. Australia
Value: 0.149
From the 20th to the 21st century, Australia has changed its stance from being committed to cultural homogeneity to promoting multiculturalism. There are multiple reasons behind this, with some of the key ones being international pressure from trading partners, successful integration of migrants (rather than assimilation), and the need to fulfill labor shortages. However, despite adopting a policy of multiculturalism, Australia is still one of the most homogenous countries in the world.
19. Armenia
Value: 0.134
99% of the population describes themselves as ethnically Armenian, making it one of the least racially diverse countries in the world. An interesting survey by the Caucasus Research Resource Center aimed to determine whether ethnic homogeneity contributed to a high social capital within Armenia, as some social scientists predict it usually does. However, their results discovered that only a tiny percentage of individuals expressed trust in people around them.
18. Finland
Value: 0.132
The Finnish group makes up 90.9% of the population in Finland. Despite having its share of anti-immigrant sentiment, Finland is still considered an egalitarian society that provides individuals with a good standard of living. In addition to that, the country has managed to make the most out of its disadvantage. By making medical data widely accessible to researchers, Finland has enabled big pharmaceutical companies, which also includes Pfizer, to utilize the country’s unique genetic heritage to study the link between diseases and genes, resulting in insightful inferences.
17. Paraguay
Value: 0.132
More than 90% of the people in Paraguay are mestizos, which makes this one of the most homogenous countries in South America. The Paraguay Country Report 2022 by BTI Atlas mentioned this to be a core strength for the state government within the country, as there are no significant religious or ethnic tensions that threaten to topple the stability of the democratic system, which the state is working quite hard to maintain.
16. Denmark
Value: 0.128
The Danish welfare state is considered as a successful model of egalitarianism for the rest of the world. According to the country itself, it is the homogeneity of the population that enables people to band together in search of the ‘common good’. This high level of uniformity also means that the integration of immigrants into Danish society has been quite challenging for the country while also being a pivotal benchmark in terms of the growth of its culture.
15. Austria
Value: 0.126
Over 90% of the individuals in Austria identify with the Austrian ethnicity; however, the recent decades have seen increased instances of migration from other European states nearby. In the coming years, Austria might drop lower on the list of the most homogenous countries in the world.
14. Norway
Value: 0.098
In 1968, Johan Galtung used the phrase ‘an unusually homogenous country’ to describe Norway. While some may say that welfare states like Norway and Sweden are at this stage because of their small and homogenous populations, the widely held view is that this position can mainly be attributed to the labor movements carried out in these countries.
13. Albania
Value: 0.097
Albanians make up 98% of the population within Albania. Most of the other ethnic minorities prefer internal marriages, which keeps the ethnicity entirely restricted. Despite being considered one of the least diverse countries in the world, Albania has faced its fair share of dilution by foreign populations. Much of this can be attributed to the fate of Albania lying in the hands of the Western powers for the earlier part of the 20th century.
12. Germany
Value: 0.095
Cultural homogeneity has been a significant part of German society and, according to some, has also contributed to preferential treatment for those who belong to the ethnic majority. However, like Australia, Germany is another homogenous country that is now embracing a policy of cultural heterogeneity, mainly as a response to immigration.
11. Haiti
Value: 0.095
95% of Haitians identify themselves having African descent, which makes it one of the least diverse countries. Their dominant gene pool and history of driving out the Western powers has managed to keep the ethnicity relatively homogenous. However, ethnicity is not the only element homogenous in the country; so is poverty.
10. Yemen
Value: 0.078
While Yemen is ethnically homogenous, the country sees a massive divide in terms of religious differences. When this is put into the context of the ongoing tensions in the country, in which the major fighting groups differ in terms of religious identity, many consider religion to be a highly divisive force in the country. While religion may not be the primary driver of the country, the differences indeed have their impact.
09. Netherlands
Value: 0.077
The Netherlands is currently number nine in terms of homogeneity, but it seems like it will be moving further below in the list of the least diverse countries in the world. Initially, most migrants to the Netherlands used to come from a select few countries, but in 2017, it was found that people from 223 countries and territories were living in the Netherlands. 9.2% of the population had at least one foreign-born parent in 1972, but by 2016, this percentage had risen to 22.1%.
08. Greece
Value: 0.059
Greece is a fairly homogenous country with no big groups based on ethnic diversity. Most of the ethnic minorities are concentrated in specific regions, for example, Omonia. Recent advanced mitochondrial research has revealed population homogeneity within ancient Greek history as well.
07. Poland
Value: 0.047
Due to Poland’s history in the context of WW2 and then its complex background of communism that kept the borders closed for 40 years, the country has managed to remain reasonably homogenous in terms of its ethnicities. The pressures of WW2 forced the country to become homogenous by expelling certain groups and killing others.
06. Portugal
Value: 0.04
The majority of the country is inhabited by ethnic Portuguese individuals, making Portugal one of the most homogenous countries in Europe. The geographically isolated physical location of the country makes it a tough spot to migrate, which is one of the elements that keep ethnicity restricted. Some experts argue that this lack of diversity enabled Portugal to become the first unified nation-state within Europe.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Homogenous Countries in the world.
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Disclosure: None. 25 Most Homogenous Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.