More than 3 billion people comprise 7,000-plus unreached people groups in the world today. But where do all these unreached people groups live?
In truth, unreached peoples can be found nearly everywhere across the globe. They live in remote mountain regions of Asia, arid deserts of Africa, tropical jungles of South America, and even in the urban cities of North America. Thousands of communities with few to no Christians are dispersed all over the Earth.
But some areas have greater populations of unreached people—places where nearly every person has never heard of Jesus. Here are the places where most unreached people groups live.
The Unreached in Asia
Asia’s sheer size contributes to the large number of unreached people groups that live on this continent. Of the 7,300 people groups in Asia, more than 5,000 are unreached.
India has the most unreached people groups of any country in the world with more than 2,000 living within its borders, followed by Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh. Most of these people groups follow Hinduism, Islam, or are religiously unaffiliated. Buddhism is another major religion among these people groups.
In total, Asia has more than 3 billion unreached people, holding the largest share of unreached people in the world.
The Unreached in Africa
Despite about 16% of Africa’s population identifying as Evangelical Christian, the continent has nearly 1,000 unreached people groups.
Sudan has the largest number of unreached people groups (more than 160) in Africa, followed by Chad, Nigeria, and Mali. After Christianity, Islam is the next most prominent religion in Africa, followed by ethnic religions.
Most unreached people in Africa live in the northern half of the continent. In total, more than 500 million people in Africa are unreached.
The Unreached in Europe
Though Christianity has a long history in Europe, church attendance has declined dramatically, and many Europeans are culturally Christian. With the continent’s proximity to Africa and Asia, many unreached peoples have migrated to Europe.
The United Kingdom and France both have about 40 unreached people groups each, many from North Africa and Asia. Some countries like Albania and Kosovo have primarily Muslim populations.
Europe has a little more than 400 unreached people groups totalling 30 million people.
Reaching the Unreached Where They Live
Knowing where the unreached live is one thing; taking action with that knowledge is another. There are several ways you can help take the gospel to those who don’t know who Jesus is.
First, you can pray for the unreached. Pray for God to soften hearts to the gospel and for Jesus to reveal Himself to people in visions and dreams. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into the harvest field (Matthew 9:37–38). And pray for God to provide the resources needed to reach the unreached. You can read this blog for more ways to pray for the unreached.
Next, you can give to missionaries and organizations that are working among the unreached. Of the nearly $900 billion given to Christian causes each year, less than 6% goes toward missions, according to the Lausanne Movement. While giving to other causes is not bad, there is a massive need to fund the efforts to evangelize the world. Even a small gift can impact someone’s eternity.
Finally, you can go to the unreached. The Joshua Project estimates that more than 70,000 workers are needed to take the gospel to unreached communities. Perhaps God is calling you to dedicate your life to making His name known among the nations. But even those who don’t feel called to live among an unreached people group can take a week or two of vacation time to go on a short-term mission trip. Whether you sign up for a team through your church or a missions organization, you could help spread gospel seeds among those who have never heard of Jesus.
And since unreached people groups are found all over the world, you can search the Joshua Project or PeopleGroups.org to see if an unreached people group lives in your area.
One day, people from every nation, tribe, people, and language will worship the Lord (Revelation 7:9). You can be a part of making God’s global family complete.
Responding to the Great Commission
The Great Commission is not a suggestion; it’s a command. At East-West, we continue to dedicate everything to that truth. Every day, we are pressing into dark and distant places to bring the light of the gospel to those who have never heard it. God is on the move, and we refuse to stay still. Do you want to see how? Click below to learn more.
