Originally Posted by
Ciddy
I think the biggest problem with High Elves, lore wise, is that their population was almost wiped out. 90% of the High Elf population was wiped out when Arthas went after the Sunwell, and 90% of the survivors ended up becoming Blood Elves (I didn't dig deep into the sources on that, but it's what Wowpedia says). If that is the case, it leaves VERY few Alliance-loyal High Elves to support a playable race.
The Battle.net page says: 90% of the HElves were wiped out in the 3rd War.
The old WoW encyclopedia said: Of the 10% that survived, 90% became BElves, 85% of whom remained in Azeroth (~7.7% of original population).
HElves (1% of original population) were exiled from Quel'thalas or weren't there when the Scourge attacked. Not all of them joined the Alliance.
Also:
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
In consequence, there are so few high elves left on Azeroth today that they cannot be considered a race in anything other than the biological sense. High elves do not gather in any significant numbers, nor do they act as a coordinated whole. They are a very small group of individuals scattered all over the world. As such, they do not have common opinions or goals. Indeed, modern high elves cannot even truly be said to have a culture--only a past filled with glory and regret. (
Source)
Examples of these small scattered groups are the Silver Covenant, Quel'Danil Lodge, and Quel'Lithien Lodge (before they became wretched).
Originally Posted by
Ciddy
Course, you could technically say the same thing about the Draenei. There was the whole genocide thing on Draenor where the Orcs went after them, and the fact that most of their world's population ended up becoming loyal to Kil'jaeden. But I never saw an actual "90% of the population" number mentioned anywhere, so it's possible that they ended up with more survivors than the High Elves did.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Part IV
The orcish campaign against the draenei was brutally effective. Over eighty percent of the draenei race was destroyed, though a small group of survivors remained, including the noble Velen. (
Source)
Originally Posted by
elderamy
The Draenei have been breeding like bunnies since the spaceship crash, so I'd say in a few years there are more Draenei than orcs!! :P
Durotan felt himself smiling in return. Without thinking, he said, "In our encampment you would find many children. Where are the draenei children?"
"We do not have many," Restalaan said. "Our people are very long-lived, and because of that we do not often have children."
--Rise of the Horde