Asian Nigerians are Nigerian citizens whose ancestry lies within the continent of Asia, most notably Bangladesh, Lebanon, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Japan. It also refers to Asian-born persons currently living in Nigeria. By mid-2008, Filipino residents in the country had increased to an estimated 4,500, up from 3,790 in December 2005. There is a large population of Chinese people in Nigeria which comprise Chinese expatriates and descendants born in Nigeria with Chinese ancestry. As at 2012, there are approximately 20,000 Chinese in Nigeria.