Anglo-Indian people

Anglo-Indians
British Raj era Anglo-Indian mother and daughter, c.1920
Total population
150,000
Regions with significant populations
 India
  • 300,000-400,000 (1996)
  • 125,000-150,000 (2023)
 United Kingdom86,000
 Australia22,000
 Canada22,000
 Bangladesh20,000
 United States20,000
 Myanmar19,200
 New Zealand15,861
 Malaysia10,310
 Singapore4,800
 Pakistan<1,500
Languages
English (British · Indian)
Hindustani (Hindi · Urdu)
Many other Indian languages
Religion
Majority:
Christianity (Protestant · Catholic)
Minority:
Hinduism · Islam · Sikhism
Related ethnic groups
Anglo-Burmese, Scottish-Indians, Irish Indians, Burghers, Kristang people, Indo people, Singaporean Eurasians, Macanese people, Indo-Aryan people, Dravidian people, British people, Indian diaspora

Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Anglo-Indian" has also encompassed other European and Indian ancestries. Anglo-Indians' first language is usually English. Prior to 1911, various designations like "Eurasian" or "Indo-Briton" were used to describe this community.

The All India Anglo-Indian Association, founded in 1926, has long represented the interests of this ethnic group; it holds that Anglo-Indians are unique in that they are Christians, speak English as their mother tongue, and have a historical link to both the British Isles and the Indian sub-continent.

During the period of British rule in India, children born to unions between British fathers and Indian mothers from the 17th century onwards formed the basis of the Anglo-Indian community. This new ethnic group formed a small yet significant portion of the population and became well represented in certain administrative roles. As Anglo-Indians were mostly isolated from both British and Indian society, their documented numbers dwindled from roughly 300,000 at the time of independence in 1947 to about 125,000–150,000 in modern day India. During much of the time that Britain ruled India (the Raj), British-Indian relationships faced stigma, which meant that the ethnicity of some Anglo-Indians was undocumented or identified incorrectly. As such, many have adapted to local communities in India or emigrated to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the United States, South Africa and New Zealand.

Similar communities can also be seen in other parts of the world, although in smaller numbers, such as Anglo-Burmese in Myanmar and Burghers in Sri Lanka.