‘堕民’ (duòmín) was a hereditary social outcast class in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, primarily concentrated in the Shaoxing region of Zhejiang Province. The term literally combines 堕 (duò), meaning 'to fall' or 'degraded', and 民 (mín), meaning 'people' or 'commoner' — thus conveying 'fallen people' or 'degraded commoners'. Historically, they were barred from taking civil service examinations, owning land, or marrying into mainstream society, and were confined to low-status occupations such as theatrical performance, barbership, and funeral services.

This group faced systemic discrimination for centuries; though officially abolished in 1905 during the late Qing reforms, social stigma persisted well into the 20th century. Today, ‘堕民’ appears almost exclusively in historical, academic, or sociological contexts — never in modern daily speech — and carries strong connotations of institutionalized marginalization and inherited social disadvantage.