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. 1,000,000 (2024) |
| Languages | |
| Maa, Swahili, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Maasai religion, other traditional African religions | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Samburu, Ilchamus | |
The Maasai (/ˈmɑːsaɪ, mɑːˈsaɪ/) are an Eastern Nilotic ethnic group native to northern, central and southern regions of Kenya including northern Tanzania, near the African Great Lakes region. Their native language is the Maasai language, a Nilotic language related to Dinka, Kalenjin and Nuer. A branch within the broader Nilo-Saharan language family. 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.