The population since the beginning of the 2007 year has been 442,2 thousand people, in the capital live 175,4 thousand. The population of republic is represented by two main nations - Adyghe, the indigenous people, and the Russian, representing the majority of the population, and also a hundred of other nationalities.

Adyghe people, who gave its name to the Republic, were the oldest inhabitants of Northwest Caucasus, known in the Europe and in the East since 13th century as Circassians.