This answer can depend on which island and region of the Caribbean. Looking at the whole area of the Caribbean, the largest ethnic group is Spanish.

When looking at the Caribbean as a whole in 2026, the largest group is defined by Spanish heritage, making up approximately 60% of the region's population. This is due to the large populations of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. However, in terms of ethnic ancestry across the entire archipelago, the largest ubiquitous group is Afro-Caribbean, consisting of descendants of the millions of enslaved Africans brought to the region during the colonial era. In countries like Haiti (the region's most populous nation with 12 million people) and Jamaica, African ancestry is the vast majority. Additionally, "Mixed-Race" (including Mulatto and Mestizo) is a major demographic, particularly in the Hispanic Caribbean. It is also important to note the Indo-Caribbean population, which forms the largest ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Thus, while Spanish is the dominant linguistic/cultural group by numbers, the Afro-Caribbean experience provides the most widespread ancestral thread across the islands.