Just the Facts – Indigenous People

Contributed by Deb Kline.

• There are more than 370 million indigenous people worldwide across 90 countries
• Indigenous peoples are 5% of the world’s population but account for 15% of the world’s extreme poor
• There exist more than 5.000 indigenous communities and that speak around 4.000 different languages
• Indigenous peoples encompass approximately 22% of the world’s land surface and are estimated to hold 80% of the planet’s biodiversity
• According to the United Nations, indigenous peoples are facing greater violations of their rights than was the case 10 years ago
• More than one in three indigenous women are sexually assaulted during their lifetime, and they also have higher rates of maternal mortality, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Sources:

https://www.iwgia.org/en/news/3268-facts-indigenous-people

https://stories.undp.org/10-things-we-all-should-know-about-indigenous-people