There are approximately 11,730 people groups in the world. The IMB Global Research team, from which the data is sourced, defines a people group as, “the largest group through which the gospel can flow without encountering significant barriers of understanding and acceptance” (PeopleGroups.org). 

The map above shows all of the people groups of the world, sized by population. The colors correspond to affinity blocs, which Patrick Johnstone defines as a set of people groups shaped by some or all of the following: geography, language, culture, history, and religion (The Future of the Global Church).