The population of Malaysia stands at over 28 million in 2012 (details). Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups, with the Malays at around 50.4% making up the majority and other indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak at 11% around of the population. By constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs and culture. Around 23.7% of the population is of Chinese descent, while Malaysians of Indian descent comprises approximately 7.1% of the population. Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th century. Other Malaysians also include those whose origin, can be traced to the Middle East, Thailand and Indonesia. Europeans and Eurasians mainly include British who settled in Malaysia since colonial times. The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the Malay Peninsula, while East Malaysia is relatively less populated.