Overall diversity
Many countries are incredibly diverse across multiple metrics.
South Africa is often called the "Rainbow Nation" because of its multicultural population and has 11 official languages. It also ranks high in both ethnic and racial diversity.
India is another candidate, being one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse nations in the world with hundreds of languages and deeply intertwined culture
Religiously diverse
For religious diversity, the data points to countries in Asia.
Singapore is considered one of the most religiously diverse nations globally, with a high score on the Pew Research Center's religious diversity index.
The high diversity in Singapore is due to its population including significant proportions of Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and other religious groups.
Linguistically diverse
Papua New Guinea is often cited as the most linguistically diverse country.
It has a population of less than 10 million people but is home to over 800 indigenous languages.
The vast majority of its population lives in rural areas, and different tribes are often isolated from each other, helping to preserve their distinct languages and cultures.
Ethnically diverse
Many countries in Africa consistently rank as the most ethnically diverse, largely due to colonial-era borders that grouped hundreds of different tribal and ethnic communities into single nations.
Uganda often tops ethnic diversity rankings, with one 2024 analysis putting its ethnic fractionalization score at over 93%.
Other top-ranking African nations include Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad, which all have hundreds of ethnic groups.
Racially diverse
Racial diversity is distinct from ethnic diversity, and different analyses produce varying results.
Brazil is often noted for its deep racial and genetic diversity, stemming from centuries of intermarriage between Indigenous, African, and European peoples.
The United States is also highly diverse due to its long history of immigration from all over the world.