Unreached people groups
An overview of the country's people groups, focusing on those who still have little or no access to the gospel in their own language and culture.
Overview
Ethiopia is home to more than 80 peoples and languages, with a contrasting spiritual landscape: alongside a strong Christian heritage, dozens of groups remain little or unreached. The Somalis and the Afar, in the arid east, and part of the Oromo, many of them Muslim or animist, are among the greatest challenges. Dozens of languages still await a translation of the Scriptures.
In the country i
60.7%Christians
18.6%evangelicals
By population i
17.1%unreached
34.3%significantly reached
- 23M Unreached 17.1%
- 15.3M Minimally reached 11.4%
- 39.1M Superficially reached 29.1%
- 10.9M Partially reached 8.1%
- 46.2M Significantly reached 34.3%
By people groups i
120people groups
30unreached · 25%
- 30 Unreached 25%
- 4 Minimally reached 3.3%
- 11 Superficially reached 9.2%
- 28 Partially reached 23.3%
- 47 Significantly reached 39.2%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Unreached people groups · 120
| People | Population | Language | Evang. | Chr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somali Frontier | 28.9M | Somali | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Yemeni Arab Frontier | 9.6M | Ta'izzi-Adeni Arabic | 0% | < 0.1% |
| Shabo | 600 | Majang | 0% | 2% |
| Somali Garre | 67K | Somali | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Hararghe Oromo | 8.5M | Eastern Oromo | 0.1% | 5% |
| Negedbeher Weyto | 2K | Amharic | 0.7% | 4.4% |
| Oromo Bale | 2.5M | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 0.1% | 1.5% |
| Wollo Amhara | 7.1M | Amharic | 0.2% | 50% |
| Saho Irob | 207K | Saho | 0.3% | 30% |
| Gobato Frontier | 2K | Berta | 0% | 0% |
| Afar | 3M | Afar | < 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Silt’e | 1.8M | Silt'e | 0.1% | 2% |
| Nao | 19K | Nayi | 0.4% | 10% |
| Harari | 60K | Harari | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Wolane | 138K | Wolane | 0.1% | 3.4% |
| Sudanese Arab Frontier | 21.8M | Sudanese Arabic | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Gwama Frontier | 13K | Gwama | 0% | 0% |
| Daats’in Frontier | 400 | Daats'iin | 0% | 0% |
| Awi | 1.1M | Awngi | 0.2% | 96% |
| Kemant | 262K | Amharic | 0.3% | 90% |
| Wollo and Yejju Oromo | 698K | West Central Oromo | 0.4% | 85% |
| Muher Gurage | 210K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 0.5% | 75% |
| Zay | 35K | Zay | 0.7% | 80% |
| Tigrayans and Tigrinyas | 10.5M | Tigrinya | 0.9% | 95.8% |
| Northern Mao | 5K | Mawes Aasse | 1.5% | 4.8% |
| K’abeena | 101K | Alaba-K'abeena | 1.1% | 3% |
| Daasanach | 117K | Daasanach | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Banna | 52K | Hamer-Banna | 1.3% | 3% |
| Alaaba | 448K | Alaba-K'abeena | 1.4% | 2.6% |
| Hamar | 89K | Hamer-Banna | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Arbore | 13K | Arbore | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Toposa Frontier | 381K | Toposa | 1.9% | 84% |
| Argobba | 242K | Argobba | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Benishangul Berta | 643K | Berta | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Murle | 201K | Murle | 1.5% | 10% |
| Kunfal | 5K | Awngi | 1% | 100% |
| Oromo Borana | 1.9M | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Deaf Frontier | 27.5M | Pakistan Sign Language | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| Oromo Jimma | 4.3M | West Central Oromo | 1.3% | 2% |
| Ximre | 475K | Xamtanga | 1% | 98% |
| Ethiopian Amhara | 29.3M | Amharic | 1.2% | 96.6% |
| Enneqour Gurage | 223K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 2% | 70% |
| Birale | 22K | Tsamai | 2% | 3% |
| Girirra | 59K | Girirra | 2% | 5% |
| Oromo Gabra Frontier | 214K | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 2.2% | 6.5% |
| Komo | 53K | Komo (Sudan) | 2.4% | 9.9% |
| Opo | 11K | Opo | 2% | 10% |
| Kereyu Oromo | 119K | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 2% | 2.5% |
| Chara | 26K | Tsaara | 2% | 3.1% |
| Izha Gurage | 203K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 2.3% | 80% |
| Suri Tirmaga-Chai | 55K | Tirmaga-Chai Suri | 2.4% | 4% |
| Ganza | 5K | Ganza | 2.5% | 2.7% |
| Ethiopian Jew | 87K | Amharic | 2.7% | 3% |
| Indegagn Gurage | 118K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 2.8% | 90% |
| Uduk | 69K | Uduk | 3% | 20.8% |
| Suri | 9K | Kacipo-Bale Suri | 3.1% | 4.1% |
| Kistane Gurage | 322K | Kistane | 3.3% | 90% |
| Arsi Oromo | 7.6M | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 3.8% | 10% |
| Bodi | 14K | Me'en | 3.8% | 6% |
| Chinese | 15.5M | Mandarin Chinese | 4.5% | 8.5% |
| Geta Gurage | 166K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 4.3% | 65% |
| Anfillo Oromo | 800 | West Central Oromo | 4.5% | 20% |
| Hozo | 9K | Hozo | 4.5% | 9% |
| Mesqan | 495K | Mesqan | 4.7% | 10% |
| Tsemay | 32K | Tsamai | 4.8% | 5% |
| Maaban | 97K | Mabaan | 5% | 15% |
| Mursi | 15K | Mursi | 5.3% | 11% |
| Inor Gurage | 401K | Inor | 7.4% | 40% |
| Gumuz Mandura-Dibate | 223K | Gumuz | 7.9% | 10% |
| Yem | 316K | Yemsa | 8.6% | 58% |
| Kunama | 174K | Kunama | 8.8% | 24.2% |
| Gumer Gurage | 192K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 9.3% | 65% |
| Seze | 20K | Seze | 9.3% | 25% |
| Boro Shinasha | 95K | Borna | 9.6% | 99% |
| Karo | 3K | Karo (Ethiopia) | 12.2% | 15.5% |
| Maraqo | 155K | Libido | 12.3% | 29% |
| Western Gurage | 277K | Sebat Bet Gurage | 12.9% | 80% |
| Kafa | 1.3M | Kafa | 14% | 20% |
| Dizi | 72K | Dizin | 14.5% | 20% |
| Tulema Oromo | 10.4M | West Central Oromo | 15% | 84.8% |
| Gumuz Kamashi | 434K | Gumuz | 15.5% | 33.9% |
| Male | 184K | Male | 19.5% | 29% |
| Turkana | 1.5M | Turkana | 21.2% | 46.1% |
| Nyangatom | 61K | Nyangatom | 23.4% | 28.8% |
| Burji | 183K | Burji | 31.2% | 33.2% |
| Dime | 8K | Dime | 33.7% | 87% |
| Dorze | 46K | Dorze | 36% | 86% |
| Anuak | 340K | Anuak | 36.4% | 51.5% |
| Kwegu | 4K | Kwegu | 39.8% | 44% |
| Wellega Oromos | 9.5M | West Central Oromo | 43.8% | 81.2% |
| Gawwada | 156K | Ale | 45% | 55% |
| Gayil | 85K | Gayil | 46.5% | 62% |
| Aari | 572K | Aari | 46.5% | 48% |
| Konta | 165K | Dawro | 47.1% | 80% |
| Konso | 509K | Konso | 48.7% | 60.9% |
| Gamo | 2.2M | Gamo | 49.1% | 85% |
| Mosiye | 39K | Mositacha | 51.5% | 95% |
| Me’en | 302K | Me'en | 53.2% | 55.7% |
| Dawro | 1.1M | Dawro | 53.2% | 92% |
| Dirasha | 129K | Dirasha | 55.3% | 82% |
| Guji Oromo | 2.2M | Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo | 56% | 70% |
| Melo | 31K | Melo | 56.2% | 65% |
| Oyda | 89K | Oyda | 59.8% | 74% |
| Gofa | 715K | Gofa | 61% | 88% |
| Basketo | 154K | Basketo | 62.9% | 94% |
| Baiso | 11K | Baiso | 63% | 88% |
| Shekka | 153K | Shekkacho | 64% | 70% |
| Bench | 697K | Bench | 65.7% | 73% |
| Sheko | 72K | Sheko | 69.1% | 80% |
| Wolaitta | 3.4M | Wolaytta | 71.1% | 98% |
| Majang | 72K | Majang | 73.4% | 84% |
| Hadiyya | 2.5M | Hadiyya | 75.8% | 89% |
| Tembaro | 194K | Kambaata | 76.5% | 95% |
| Kachama-Ganjule | 5K | Kachama-Ganjule | 76.8% | 80% |
| Zayse | 35K | Zayse | 77.7% | 82% |
| Gedeo | 1.9M | Gedeo | 77.9% | 85% |
| Kambata | 1M | Kambaata | 79.9% | 93% |
| Nuer | 1.8M | Nuer | 84.8% | 89.9% |
| Sidama | 5.8M | Sidaama | 86.1% | 95% |
| Koore | 309K | Koorete | 86.2% | 94% |
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