AIM: To evaluate the classification and severity of Crohn's disease in different racial groups.METHODS: Patients with Crohn's disease from the outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Prof. Edgard Santos were enrolled in the study. This hospital is a reference centre for inflammatory bowel disease. Race was determined using self-identification. The Vienna's classification was applied for all subjects. The severity of Crohn's disease was determined according to the number of surgical procedures, hospital admissions in the last year and treatment with steroids and immunosuppressors. Statistical analysis was calculated using t test for means, χ2 or F for proportions. A P value ＜ 0.05 was considered to be significant.RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were enrolled. Non-white patients were more frequently diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the age less than 40 years than white patients. The behaviour of disease was similar in both groups with a high frequency of the penetrating form.There was a tendency for non-white patients to have a greater frequency of hospital admissions in the last year compared to white subjects. Non-whites also had a higher rate of colonic and upper gastrointestinal involvement, and were also more frequently on treatment with immunossupressors than white patients although this difference was not statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Non-white patients with Crohn's disease had an earlier diagnosis and appeared to have had a more severe disease presentation than white patients.