Total population | |
---|---|
c. 90,000 (by birth, 2012)[1] c. 1,500,000 (by ancestry) 44% of Uruguay's population[2] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Throughout Uruguay (primairly within Montevideo) | |
Languages | |
Rioplatense Spanish · Italian
(including different dialects and variations of the Italian language and pidgins such as Cocoliche and Lunfardo) | |
Religion | |
Christianity (predominantly Catholicism)
(minor Christian denominations practiced including Protestantism and Evangelicalism; Judaism is also relevant within the community) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Italians · Italian Argentines Italian Americans, Italian Argentines, Italian Bolivians, Italian Brazilians, Italian Canadians, Italian Chileans, Italian Colombians, Italian Costa Ricans, Italian Cubans, Italian Dominicans, Italian Ecuadorians, Italian Guatemalans, Italian Haitians, Italian Hondurans, Italian Mexicans, Italian Panamanians, Italian Paraguayans, Italian Peruvians, Italian Puerto Ricans, Italian Salvadorans, Italian Venezuelans |
Italian Uruguayans (Italian: italo-uruguaiani; Spanish: ítalo-uruguayos or tanos in Rioplatense Spanish) are Uruguayan-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Uruguay during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Uruguay.
Outside of Italy, Uruguay has one of the highest percentages of people of Italian descent in the world. It is estimated that approximately 44% of the total population of Uruguay—around 1,500,000 people—are of Italian ancestry. Furthermore, as of recent estimates, there are around 90,000 Italian citizens residing in Uruguay.[2] Italian emigrants began to arrive in Uruguay in large numbers in the 1840s and this migratory flow continued until the 1960s.[3][4]
The population of Italian origin, alongside that of the Spaniards, is often regarded as the foundational pillar of modern Uruguayan society. These two groups significantly contributed to the country's economic, social, and cultural development. Italian immigrants played a pivotal role in the growth of Uruguay, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Their influence can still be seen in various aspects of Uruguayan life, from cuisine and architecture to art and music.[1][5][6][7] Uruguayan culture bears important similarities to Italian culture in terms of language, customs, and traditions.[4]