Maasai people
A gathering of Maasai men in 2005 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. 2.1 Million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Kenya | 1,189,522 (2019) |
| Tanzania | approx. 900,000 (2024) |
| Languages | |
| Maa, Swahili, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Maasai religion, other traditional African religions, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Samburu, Ilchamus, Zigua, Sambaa, Bondei, Luo, other Nilotic peoples | |
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The Maasai (/ˈmɑːsaɪ, mɑːˈsaɪ/;) are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, near the African Great Lakes region. Their native language is the Maasai language, a Nilotic language related to Dinka, Kalenjin and Nuer. Except for some elders living in rural areas, most Maasai people speak the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania—Swahili and English.
The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 1,189,522 in Kenya in the 2019 census compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census. However, many Maasai view the census as government meddling and either refuse to participate or actively provide false information.