Algerians

---

title: "Algerians" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["algerian-diaspora", "society-of-algeria", "arab-people", "north-african-people", "maghreb", "algerian-people"] description: "People of Algeria" topic_path: "general/algerian-diaspora" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerians" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary People of Algeria ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox ethnic group"]

Field	Value
group	Algerians
native_name	الجزائريون
native_name_lang	ar
image	Map of the Algerian Diaspora in the World.svg
image_caption	Algerian diaspora in the world
popplace	Algeria
46,000,000
region2	France
pop2	1,637,000
ref2
region5	Canada
pop5	120,000
ref5
region7	Spain
pop7	70,511
ref7	{{cite web
url	https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Datos.htm?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=0ccaa005.px#!tabs-tabla
region8	Germany
pop8	60,000
ref8
region10	US
pop10	60,000
ref10
region11	United Kingdom
pop11	30,000
ref11
region13	Italy
pop13	19,142
ref13	{{cite web
url	https://www.tuttitalia.it/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri/algeria
region15	Turkey
pop15	9,815
ref15
region16	Netherlands
pop16	9,000
ref16
region18	Sweden
pop18	5,048
ref18
region19	Egypt
pop19	3,000
ref19
region20	Mali
pop20	1,000
ref20
region21	Australia
pop21	2,000
ref21
languages	Algerian Arabic (majority), Berber (minority)
religions	Predominantly Sunni Islam
Minority: Ibadi Islam, Christianity, Judaism
::

| group = Algerians | native_name = الجزائريون | native_name_lang = ar | image = Map of the Algerian Diaspora in the World.svg | image_caption = Algerian diaspora in the world | popplace = Algeria 46,000,000 | population = | ref1 = | region2 = France | pop2 = 1,637,000 | ref2 = | region3 = | pop3 = | ref3 = | region4 = | pop4 = | ref4 = | region5 = Canada | pop5 = 120,000 | ref5 = | region6 = | pop6 = | ref6 = | region7 = Spain | pop7 = 70,511 | ref7 = {{cite web|title=Población por comunidades y provincias, país de nacimiento, edad (grupos quinquenales) y sexo |url=https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Datos.htm?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=0ccaa005.px#!tabs-tabla|publisher=Istituto Nacional de estadística|access-date=27 March 2023}} | region8 = Germany | pop8 = 60,000 | ref8 = | region9 = | pop9 = | ref9 = | region10 = US | pop10 = 60,000 | ref10 = | region11 = United Kingdom | pop11 = 30,000 | ref11 = | region12 = | pop12 = | ref12 = | region13 = Italy | pop13 = 19,142 | ref13 = {{cite web|title=Algerini in Italia al 2022 |url=https://www.tuttitalia.it/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri/algeria|publisher=Tuttitalia Cittadini stranieri al 2022|access-date=27 March 2023}} | region14 = | pop14 = | ref14 = | region15 = Turkey | pop15 = 9,815 | ref15 = | region16 = Netherlands | pop16 = 9,000 | ref16 = | region17 = | pop17 = | ref17 = | region18 = Sweden | pop18 = 5,048 | ref18 = | region19 = Egypt | pop19 = 3,000 | ref19 = | region20 = Mali | pop20 = 1,000 | ref20 = | region21 = Australia | pop21 = 2,000 | ref21 = | region22 = | pop22 = | ref22 = | region23 = | pop23 = | ref23 = | region24 = | pop24 = | ref24 = | region25 = | pop25 = | ref25 = | region26 = | pop26 = | ref26 = | region27 = | pop27 = | ref27 = | region28 = | pop28 = | ref28 = | languages = Algerian Arabic (majority), Berber (minority) | religions = Predominantly Sunni Islam Minority: Ibadi Islam, Christianity, Judaism Algerians (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The majority of the country's population is composed of Arabs who make up 85% of the population, and there is a Berber minority of 15%. The term also applies more broadly to any people who are of Algerian nationality, sharing a common culture and identity, as well as those who natively speak Algerian Arabic or other languages of Algeria.

In addition to the approximately 46 million residents of Algeria, there is a large Algerian diaspora as part of the wider Arab diaspora. Considerable Algerian populations can be found in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom; with smaller notable concentrations in other Arab states as well as non-Arab countries such as the United States, and Canada.

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Algeria, Arabs, Berbers

The majority of the population of Algeria is Arab, constituting between 75% and 80% to 85% of the population. Berbers on the other hand make up between 15% and 20% to 24% of the population. According to Britannica, the country's population is 73.6% Arab, 23.2% Berber, 3% Arabized Berber, and 0.2% other. Centuries of Arab migrations to the Maghreb from the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant since the 7th century Muslim conquest have significantly altered Algeria's demographic landscape, culturally and linguistically. Berbers, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Turks as well as other ethnic groups have contributed to the culture and languages of the Algerian population.

Descendants of Andalusi refugees are also present in the population of Algiers and other cities. Moreover, Spanish was spoken by these Aragonese and Castillian Morisco descendants deep into the 18th century, and even Catalan was spoken at the same time by Catalan Morisco descendants in the small town of Grish El-Oued.

The Arab population of Algeria is a result of the inflow of sedentary and nomadic Arab tribes from Arabia since the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in the 7th century with a major wave in the 11th century. The Berbers are divided into many groups with varying languages. The largest of these are the Kabyles, who live in the Kabylia region east of Algiers, the Chaoui of North-East Algeria, the Tuaregs in the southern desert and the Shenwa people of North Algeria.

During the colonial period, there was a large (15% in 1960) European population who became known as Pied-Noirs. They were primarily of French, Spanish and Italian origin. Almost all of this population left during the war of independence or immediately after its end.

Languages

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Algerians_in_traditional_costumes.jpg" caption="language=en}}"] ::

A minority of Algerians speak one of the various Berber languages. The largest Berber language is Kabyle with 3 million speakers. It has significant Arabic, French, Latin, Greek, Phoenician and Punic substratum, and Arabic loanwords represent 35% to 46% of the total Kabyle vocabulary.

Religion

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Alger_الجامع_الكبير_و_الجامع_الجديد_بالجزائر.jpg" caption="[[Djamaa el Kebir"] ::

Islam is the predominant religion in Algeria, with the vast majority of adherents being Sunni Muslims. The dominant madhhab is Maliki, there are a few followers of the Hanafi rite among people of Turkish descent. According to the 2021 CIA World Factbook, Muslims make up approximately 99% of the population, while Pew Research estimated this figure at 97.9% in 2020. Additionally, there are around 290,000 Ibadis, primarily residing in the M'zab Valley in the Ghardaia region. Islam was introduced to Algeria by the Umayyad dynasty during the Arab expansion, beginning with the invasion led by Uqba ibn Nafi.

Christianity was introduced to North Africa during the Roman era. Its influence waned during the Vandal invasions but was later reinforced under Byzantine rule. However, indigenous Christianity in North Africa persisted beyond the Muslim conquest until the early 15th century. Before Algeria’s independence, the country was home to more than 1.3 million Christians, most of whom were of European descent, along with a small number of Algerians who had converted to Christianity. Following independence, the majority of these settlers emigrated to France. Since the 1960s, an increasing number of Algerians have converted to Christianity. The number of Algerian converts to Christianity, most of whom practice in secret, is estimated to range between 50,000 and 200,000. Today, most Christian Algerian citizens belong to Protestant denominations, which have faced growing governmental pressure in recent years, including numerous forced church closures.

Algeria’s Jewish community, with roots dating back to antiquity, was largely composed of descendants of Spanish refugees. Before independence in 1962, about 140,000 Jews lived in Algeria, but most emigrated to France due to their French citizenship. By the 1990s, only around 1,000 remained, with the last synagogue in Algiers vandalized in 1977.

References

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