Ho people
The Ho people are an Austroasiatic Munda ethnic group of India. They are mostly concentrated in the Kolhan region of Jharkhand and northern Odisha where they constitute around 10.7% and 7.3% of the total Scheduled Tribe population respectively, as of 2011 . With a population of approximately 700,000 in the state in 2001, the Ho are the fourth most numerous Scheduled tribe in Jharkhand after the Santals, Kurukhs, and Mundas. Ho also inhabit adjacent areas in the neighbouring states of Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar bringing the total to 806,921 as of 2001. They also live in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Ho tribe woman in traditional attire. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,658,104 (2011 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India, Nepal, Bangladesh | |
| Jharkhand | 928,289 |
| Odisha | 705,618 |
| West Bengal | 23,483 |
| Bihar | 715 |
| Languages | |
| Ho language | |
| Religion | |
| |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Odisha population figures include Kolha, Mundari, Kolah, Munda & Kol who although listed as a separate Scheduled Tribe, are another name for the Hos. | |
According to Ethnologue, the total number of people speaking the Ho language was 1,040,000 as of 2001. Similar to other Austroasiatic groups in the area, the Ho report varying degrees of multilingualism, also using Hindi and English.
Over 90% of the Ho practice the indigenous religion Sarnaism. The majority of the Ho are involved in agriculture, either as land owners or labourers, while others are engaged in mining. Compared to the rest of India, the Ho have a low literacy rate and a low rate of school enrolment. The government of Jharkhand has recently approved measures to help increase enrolment and literacy among children.