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Uruguayans () are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and their allegiance to Uruguay. Colloquially, primarily among other Spanish-speaking nations, Uruguayans are also referred to as " orientals as" ().
Uruguay is, along with much of the Americas, a melting pot of different peoples, with the difference that it has traditionally maintained a model that promotes cultural assimilation, hence the different cultures have been absorbed by the mainstream. Uruguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in South America; the most common ethnic backgrounds by far being those from Spain, Italy, Germany and France i.e. Spanish Uruguayans, Italian Uruguayans, German Uruguayans, French Uruguayans and Polish Uruguayans.
There are also smaller numbers of Japanese, as well as Amerindians, mainly Charrúa, Minuane people, Chaná, Güenoa and Guaraní. Montevideo, like Buenos Aires in Argentina and Santos in Brazil, was a major seaport to dock ships coming from Europe and elsewhere and European settlement greatly affected Uruguay to have a more western oriented culture.
Many colonies such as Nueva Helvecia, a Swiss settlement, and Colonia Valdense, a Waldensian colony, are located in the department of Colonia. Also, there are towns founded by British settlers, like Conchillas and Barker. Two Russian colonies called San Javier and Colonia Ofir, are found in the department of Río Negro. Also there are Mennonite colonies in the department of Río Negro like Gartental and El Ombú, in Canelones Department called Colonia Nicolich, and in San José Department called Colonia Delta. El Ombú, is famous for its well-known Dulce de Leche "Claldy", and is located near the city of Young.
European immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries heavily influenced Uruguayan culture and lifestyle. The large cities, including its capital Montevideo, have preserved European architecture, the latter being considered one of the greatest exponents of the Art Deco style.
Today, Uruguay's culture is influenced heavily by its European roots which is evident in its language, food and other aspects of everyday life.
A 1996 census identified that 12,600 people in Uruguay were Amerindian descendants. In 2006, a census confirmed that there were 115,118 Uruguayans that descended from one Amerindian ethnic group, the Charrúas, reaching up to 4% of the country's population. In 2005, Sinthia Pagano, M.D conducted a genetic study, detecting that 38% of Uruguayans may have expressed partial genetic influence from the Amerindian population. Another study found that 34% of the population has Amerindian admixture.
French language and Italian language have great relevance in society, having been part of the educational curriculum until the 2000s. On the other hand, in the north-east of the country, the fronteiriço dialect is spoken, a mixture between Uruguayan Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese originated due to cultural exchange between the areas on both sides of the border. English language is the most widespread foreign language among the Uruguayan people.
Political observers consider Uruguay the most secular country in the Americas. Uruguay's secularization began with the relatively minor role of the church in the colonial era, compared with other parts of the Spanish Empire. The small numbers of Uruguay's indigenous peoples and their fierce resistance to proselytism reduced the influence of the ecclesiastical authorities.
In 1837 civil marriage was recognized, and in 1861 the state took over the running of public cemeteries. In 1907 divorce was legalized and, in 1909 all religious instruction was banned from state schools. Under the influence of the innovative Colorado reformer José Batlle y Ordóñez (1903–1911), complete separation of church and state was introduced with the new constitution of 1917.
Uruguay's capital has 12 synagogues, and a community of 20,000 Jews by 2011. With a peak of 50,000 during the mid-1960s, Uruguay has the world's highest rate of aliyah as a percentage of the Jewish population.
| Catholic | 46.0 | 45.1 | 44.8 |
| Other Christian | 10.1 | 10.5 | 9.5 |
| Unaffiliated believer | 26.9 | 27.8 | 30.1 |
| Atheist | 15.7 | 15.1 | 12.3 |
| Agnostic | 2.1 | ||
The Baháʼí Faith is also practiced, along with Afro-Brazilian religions such as Quimbanda, Candomblé, and Umbanda.
"La cumparsita" (little street procession, a grammatical diminutive of la comparsa) is a tango written in 1916 by the Uruguayan musician Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, It is among the most famous and recognizable tangos of all time.
The popular music of Uruguay, which focuses on rock, jazz, and many other forms, frequently makes reference to the distinctly Uruguayan sounds mentioned above. The group Los Shakers, similar to the Beatles, deserve a special mention as the band that kickstarted the Uruguayan rock scene.
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