While China has the largest population of Hmong people, an exact figure is hard to determine. According to the 1990 census, of the 7.4 million Miao people, 5.4 million were recorded as speaking a Miao language. Of these, around 2 million spoke a dialect of the Hmong language. Currently, based on projected growth rates, along with the inclusion of previously overlooked dialects, the number of speakers of the Hmong language in China has been estimated to be around 2.8 million.
Figures for Indochina are more concrete:- Vietnam (1999): 787,600
- Laos (2005): 450,000
- Thailand: 150,000
There is also small population of Hmong people in Myanmar, but no exact figure is available.
Outside of Asia, the United States is home to the largest Hmong population. The 2000 census counted 186,310 persons of Hmong ancestry. This number has been criticized for seriously undercounting the actual population, which has been estimated to be anywhere between 250,000 and 300,000. Other countries with significant populations include:
- France: 15,000
- Australia: 2,000
- French Guiana: 1,500
- Canada and Argentina: 600
Within the United States, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina have the highest concentrations of Hmong people.