Caste-wise, many Bihari Mauritians are Vaishyas, with notable groups including Bhumihars, Brahmins, Rajputs, Koeri, Chamars, Yadav, Kurmis, Banias, and Kayastha.

About 65.7 % of the 1.3 million population of Mauritius is of Indian origin, most of them from Bihar state, with Bhojpuri as their ancestral tongue.

[citation needed] Bihari Mauritians primarily originated from the Gaya, Chhapra, Bhojpur, Gopalganj, and East and West Champaran districts.

Amitav Ghosh's novel, Sea of Poppies, is set in this era and depicts the plight of impoverished Bihari migrants who undertook journeys to Mauritius and other distant colonies of the empire.

Though the island is divided on ethnic and religious grounds, 'Hindu' Mauritians follow a number of original custom and tradition, quite different from those seen in the Indian subcontinent.