Unreached peoples of Malaysia

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

Malaysia brings together 183 ethnic and people groups, of which 78 are still considered unreached with the gospel, among them the majority Malay ethnic group, of Muslim faith, and several smaller peoples of the island of Borneo. About half of the country's population lives among still unreached groups, making Malaysia one of the most challenging countries in Southeast Asia for the advance of the church.

In the country i

9.4%Christians

4%evangelicals

By population i

50.5%unreached

5.6%significantly reached

50.5% Unreached (18.1M)
3% Minimally reached (1.1M)
0% Superficially reached (1K)
41% Partially reached (14.7M)
5.6% Significantly reached (2M)

By people groups i

183people groups

78unreached · 42.6%

42.6% Unreached (78)
12% Minimally reached (22)
0.5% Superficially reached (1)
35.5% Partially reached (65)
9.3% Significantly reached (17)

Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.

Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.

Unreached people groups · 183

People	Population	Language	Evang.	Chr.
Sian	80	Sihan (Malaysia)	0%	4%
Aceh	4.2M	Aceh	< 0.1%	0.1%
Jakun Frontier	35K	Jakun	0%	0%
Sama Balangingih	131K	Balangingih Sama	0.1%	0.1%
Japanese	119.7M	Japanese	0.5%	1.6%
Murik Kayan	3K	Murik (Malaysia)	0.8%	4%
Central Thai	22.4M	Thai	0.9%	1.6%
Balinese	3.8M	Bali (Indonesia)	0.2%	1.3%
Kanowit	600	Kanowit-Tanjong Melanau	0%	2%
Southern Sama Frontier	237K	Southern Sama	0.1%	0.1%
Murut Paluan	5K	Paluan Murut	0.6%	10%
Orang Kanaq	200	Malay	0%	4%
Ruainga	2.3M	Rohingya	0.1%	0.1%
Maldivian Malki Frontier	502K	Maldivian	0%	0%
Sonsogon	5K	Kimaragang	0.5%	5%
Banjar Frontier	4.1M	Banjar	< 0.1%	0.1%
Kayaman	1K	Kejaman	0.5%	4%
Tausug Moro Joloano Frontier	1.9M	Tausug	< 0.1%	< 0.1%
Dumpas	5K	Dumpas	0.4%	6%
Minangkabau Orang Negeri Frontier	763K	Negeri Sembilan Malay	0%	0%
Tonga Ten’edn Frontier	600	Ten'edn	0%	0%
Belait Lakiput	2K	Belait	0.1%	0.1%
Abai Sungai Frontier	2K	Abai Sungai	0%	0%
Temoq	900	Malay	0%	1%
Mandailing	1.3M	Batak Mandailing	0.1%	0.1%
Kintaq	200	Kintaq	0.5%	3.1%
Yakan Frontier	284K	Yakan	< 0.1%	< 0.1%
Penan	12K	Eastern Penan	0.3%	5%
Tak Bai Thai Frontier	27K	Southern Thai	0%	0%
Brunei Malay Frontier	607K	Brunei	0.2%	4.1%
Ukit	200	Ukit	0.4%	3%
Dayak Tidung	63K	Southern Tidung	< 0.1%	5%
Bawean	193K	Madura	0.1%	0.6%
West Coast Bajau Frontier	280K	West Coast Bajau	0%	0%
Penan-Nibong Frontier	5K	Western Penan	0%	0%
Bateq Kleb	1K	Batek	0.5%	3%
Jaffna Tamil Frontier	36K	Tamil	0%	0%
Temiar	36K	Temiar	0.6%	7%
Bugis	6M	Bugis	0.1%	0.5%
Lanoh	400	Lanoh	0%	1%
Pashtun Frontier	34.2M	Central Pashto	0%	0%
Murut Pandewan	2K	Paluan Murut	0.6%	7%
Sabum	1K	Ambonese Malay	0.6%	0.6%
Western Berawan	1K	West Berawan	0%	3%
Sino-nativo	33K	Mandarin Chinese	0.5%	8%
Orang Kanaq Duano Frontier	24K	Duano	0%	0%
Mah Meri Besisi	4K	Mah Meri	0.9%	1%
Western Cham Frontier	342K	Western Cham	< 0.1%	< 0.1%
Kensiu	700	Kensiu	0%	2.6%
Hindi	2.8M	Hindi	0.7%	2%
Hui Frontier	13.9M	Mandarin Chinese	< 0.1%	< 0.1%
Sabah Bisaya Frontier	96K	Sabah Bisaya	0%	0%
Central Berawan	2K	Central Berawan	0.5%	5%
Tatana	26K	Tatana	0.5%	14%
Wolio Frontier	252K	Wolio	0%	< 0.1%
Narom	5K	Narom	0.2%	4%
Bengali-speaking South Asian	5.5M	Bengali	0.2%	0.8%
Semoq Beri	3K	Semaq Beri	0.3%	3%
Kannadiga	216K	Kannada	0.7%	2.6%
Che Wong	600	Cheq Wong	0.5%	0.5%
Sabah Iranun Frontier	35K	Iranun (Malaysia)	0%	0%
Malay Frontier	18.9M	Malay	0.1%	0.1%
Sindhi Frontier	529K	Sindhi	< 0.1%	0.4%
Eastern Berawan	1K	East Berawan	0.8%	6%
Burmese	32.9M	Burmese	0.1%	0.4%
Semelai	8K	Semelai	0.1%	5%
Punjabi	2.1M	Eastern Punjabi	0.3%	1%
Gujarati Frontier	2.9M	Gujarati	0.3%	1.4%
Cocos Malay Frontier	9K	Malay	0%	0%
Jama Mapun	67K	Mapun	0.3%	0.3%
Urdu Frontier	2.9M	Urdu	0%	< 0.1%
Semnam Frontier	1K	Semnam	0%	0%
Jah Hut	5K	Jah Hut	0.1%	2%
Molbog	22K	Molbog	0.2%	0.2%
Mintil Frontier	200	Mintil	0%	0%
Generic Nepali	1.7M	Nepali	1.6%	2%
Bonggi	6K	Bonggi	1.5%	20%
Sinhalese	715K	Sinhala	1.3%	3.6%
Siduan	1K	Sibu Melanau	1%	3%
Central Sama	136K	Central Sama	1.8%	4.3%
Murut Kalabakan	4K	Kalabakan Murut	1%	12%
Central Khmer	17.6M	Khmer	1.3%	3.1%
Kiput	1K	Kiput	1%	65%
Vietnamitas	89.7M	Vietnamese	1.5%	9.9%
Arab	2M	Swahili	1.9%	14.4%
Deaf Frontier	27.5M	Pakistan Sign Language	1.8%	3.7%
Batu Punan	1K	Malay	1%	6%
Bintulu	13K	Vaie	1%	12%
Persian	48.4M	Iranian Persian	1.5%	1.8%
Mendriq	200	Minriq	1%	2%
Murut Serudung	1K	Serudung Murut	1%	10%
Telugu-Speaking South Asian	1.7M	Telugu	1.8%	5.4%
Tampias Lobu	5K	Tampias Lobu	2%	18%
Papar Bajau Bukit	2K	Malay	2%	4%
Melanau	156K	Central Melanau	2.5%	5%
Tring	2K	Tring	2%	4%
Kenyah Sibop	2K	Sebop	2%	10%
Xiang Chinese	35.5M	Xiang Chinese	2%	3%
Land Dayak Lara	19K	Rara Bakati'	2%	10%
Punan Bah-Biau	6K	Punan Bah-Biau	2%	16%
Millikin	600	Remun	2%	18%
Baba Straits Chinese	307K	Baba Malay	3%	5.1%
Keningau Dusun	2K	Gana	3%	24%
Tringgus	2K	Tringgus-Sembaan Bidayuh	3%	10%
Orang Seletar	3K	Orang Seletar	3%	5.4%
Klias River Kadazan	2K	Klias River Kadazan	3%	24%
Malayali	2.1M	Tamil	3.6%	10.9%
Hindu Tamil	3.6M	Tamil	3.4%	6.7%
Semai	66K	Semai	3.3%	6%
Dusun Segama	900	Upper Kinabatangan	4%	84%
Kenyah Wahau	11K	Wahau Kenyah	4%	70.2%
Kimaragan	28K	Kimaragang	4%	60%
Tungara	3K	Bookan Murut	4%	60%
Tambunan Dusun	26K	Kadazan Dusun	4%	78%
Northern Tidung	24K	Northern Tidung	4%	14%
Kuala Monsok Dusun	400	Kadazan Dusun	4%	84%
Murut Timugon	11K	Timugon Murut	4%	78%
Western Kenyah	6K	Uma' Lasan	4.7%	58.3%
Sarawak Dayak	42K	Bau Bidayuh	4.7%	17.6%
Beketan	1K	Bukitan	4.7%	63.4%
Kelabit	7K	Kelabit	4.8%	70.5%
Kristang	41K	Malaccan Portuguese Creole	5%	90%
Dusun Tuaran	24K	Lotud	5%	24%
Land Dayak Biatah	117K	Biatah Bidayuh	5%	78%
Kota Marudu Tinagas	3K	Kadazan Dusun	5%	22%
Bukar Sadong	92K	Bidayuh Serian	5%	60%
Dusun Kadazan	105K	Kadazan Dusun	5.2%	26.3%
Dusun Rungus	78K	Rungus	5%	78%
Ida’an	18K	Ida'an	5%	18%
Dusun Bundu	80K	Kadazan Dusun	5%	84%
Dusun Kwijau	24K	Kuijau	5.1%	25.4%
Temuan	36K	Temuan	5.2%	5.8%
Putian Han Chinese	3.1M	Pu-Xian Chinese	5.5%	8%
Kenyah Kelinyau	20K	Mainstream Kenyah	5.8%	74%
Tambanua	16K	Tombonuo	5.9%	20%
Daro-Matu	23K	Matu Daro Melanau	5.9%	8%
Tobilung	12K	Tobilung	6%	40%
Lanas Lobu	6K	Lanas Lobu	6%	20%
Min Nan Han Chinese	43.5M	Min Nan Chinese	6.8%	10.8%
Sinabu	1K	Upper Kinabatangan	6%	42%
Dusun Sugut	20K	Sugut Dusun	6%	42%
Teochew Chinese	1.8M	Min Nan Chinese	6.2%	11.3%
Upper Kinabatangan	16K	Upper Kinabatangan	6%	50%
Kenyah Tutoh Lugat	2K	Long Wat	6%	75%
Rejang Kayan	9K	Rejang Kayan	6%	18%
Sekapan	2K	Sekapan	6%	40%
Keningau Murut	11K	Keningau Murut	6%	66%
Eurasian	1.8M	Japanese	6.5%	37.6%
Upper Baram Kenyah	30K	Mainstream Kenyah	6.1%	79.7%
Murut Okolod	7K	Okolod	6.3%	32.2%
Murut Sembakung	8K	Sembakung Murut	6.7%	17.4%
Cantonese	80.1M	Yue Chinese	7.6%	9.7%
Dusun Tempasuk	18K	Kadazan Dusun	7%	30%
Dusun Minokok	2K	Minokok	7%	42%
Dusun Sungai	57K	Kadazan Dusun	7%	48%
Hakka Han Chinese	43.9M	Hakka Chinese	7.1%	8.9%
Central Dusun	231K	Kadazan Dusun	7%	90%
Bisayas Tutong	69K	Bisaya Brunei	7.5%	13%
Min Bei Han Chinese	8.8M	Min Bei Chinese	8.6%	9.9%
Hainanese Han Chinese	6.4M	Hainanese	8.5%	8.9%
Mandarin Han Chinese	925.1M	Mandarin Chinese	8.3%	9.9%
British	55M	English	8.9%	60.4%
Han Chinese (Min Dong)	10.5M	Min Dong Chinese	9.1%	10%
Javanese	19.1M	Javanese	9.3%	18.9%
Lamaholot	270K	Lamaholot	9.6%	73%
Central Kadazan	38K	Kadazan Dusun	10%	36%
Murut Selungai	2K	Selungai Murut	10.5%	19%
Indonesian	15.1M	Indonesian	11.2%	16.7%
Murut Tagal	61K	Tagol Murut	11.8%	81.6%
Dayak Kendayan	419K	Kendayan	12%	45%
Korean	80.3M	Korean	12.3%	22.1%
Sa’ban	3K	Sa'ban	12.3%	70%
Dayak Iban	843K	Iban	13.8%	45.7%
Filipino tagalo	40.4M	Tagalog	14.7%	97.8%
Balau	13K	Iban	15%	90%
Lahanan	900	Lahanan	15%	90%
Lundayeh and Lun Bawang	61K	Lundayeh	15.5%	75%
Jehai	3K	Jehai	19.6%	32.4%
Garo Kimaragang	3K	Kota Marudu Talantang	21.4%	70%
Eastern Kadazan	34K	Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan	25.4%	72%
US Americans	202.4M	English	32.9%	81%
Baram Kayan	13K	Baram Kayan	55%	96%
Chin Hakha	172K	Hakha Chin	57.3%	88.1%

Intercede for Malaysia and its peoples

Every unreached people group is an entire culture still without full access to the gospel. Join in prayer with Christians around the world.

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