The Population includes the australoid, the Alpinoid, and the Mediterranean racial groups. The Australoids are represented mainly by the savara, Santal, Khond, Gond, Munda, Ho, Juang, Gadaba, Bhuina, Koya, and Oran tribes. These tribes are divided into three linguistic groups: the Munda-speaking (The Santal, Savara, Juang , and the others) and the Oriya speaking (the Bhuiyans and others). Most tribes live in the hill areas,but they are also found in plains. The Alpinoid and Mediterranean groups are represented among the non tribal population, which is mainly Oriya-speaking and Hindu.

The tribes have for a long time been going through the process of Hinduization. Tribal chieftains have claimed Ksatriya (warrior) status, while many of the Khonds, who constitute the largest tribe, have abandoned their Kui language (Dravidian) and speak Oriya. Many tribes are bilingual. Some have become almost indistinguishable from the Hindus and have lost their original language. The Oriya language does not vary in its written form, but it differs in the spoken form from place to place. The purest Oriya is spoken in the Cuttack and Puri districts. The Balasore, Sambalpur, and Ganjam districts have distinct local accents