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Indigenous Self-Identification Decreased in Peru Over Eight Years; Fall Concentrated in Quechua Population
🇵🇪 Peru /Culture & Society

Indigenous Self-Identification Decreased in Peru Over Eight Years; Fall Concentrated in Quechua Population

From La República · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Outcome reported
  • Peru's indigenous population identification has decreased over the past eight years, with a significant drop among the Quechua people.
  • The 2025 National Census shows a reduction of 186,848 people identifying as indigenous compared to 2017.
  • Social and cultural factors like generational change, urban migration, and discrimination may contribute to this decline.

Peru has seen a decrease in the number of people identifying as indigenous over the last eight years, a trend primarily concentrated among the Quechua population. Results from the 2025 National Census, released by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), reveal a decline in self-identification within the analyzed group of individuals aged 12 and older.

According to an analysis by political scientist Fabián Sánchez, the indigenous population dropped from over 5.9 million in 2017 to approximately 5.7 million in 2025, marking a decrease of 186,848 people. The most substantial change occurred within the Quechua community, which saw a reduction of over 316,000 individuals identifying with the group. Sánchez noted this is an absolute decrease, not just a percentage drop.

In this group in the 2025 census, there are 316,543 fewer people than in the census eight years ago. This is a result because it is not just a percentage reduction, but in absolute numbers there are fewer people who have identified themselves within this ethnic group.

— Fabián SánchezExplaining the absolute decrease in the Quechua population identifying as indigenous.

Sánchez suggests that this decline is not attributable to a single cause but likely stems from a combination of social and cultural shifts. These include generational changes, migration to urban centers, reduced engagement with traditional cultural practices, and the persistent impact of discrimination on public self-identification. "We cannot give an exact reason for now, but the logic is precisely to open the question: why the reduction? Why specifically in the Quechua group?" he stated.

Furthermore, the category "Quechua" encompasses diverse realities, and some local communities may not identify with the broader label. Gilberto Inuma Arahuta, president of the FEPIURCHA federation on the Chambira River, observed a distancing from language and cultural practices, particularly among younger generations in the Urarina community. This indicates a complex interplay of identity, cultural preservation, and societal pressures influencing how indigenous heritage is claimed.

We cannot give an exact reason for now, but the logic is precisely to open the question: why the reduction? Why specifically in the Quechua group?

— Fabián SánchezDiscussing the potential social and cultural factors behind the decline in indigenous self-identification.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La República in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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