Unreached peoples of Zambia
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.
Zambia has 75 catalogued ethnic groups, and the vast majority are already significantly reached by the gospel, reflecting the country's strong Christian identity. Even so, four groups remain unreached: the Gujarati and the Swahili, linked to Hinduism and Islam and concentrated in urban trade; the Yao, a small Muslim group in the east of the country; and the Zambian Deaf community, which lacks churches and a complete Bible in sign language. Together, these groups add up to just over 130,000 people, a small fraction of the total population, but still without real access to a church of their own that speaks their language and understands their culture.
- 0.6% Unreached (127K)
- 0.2% Minimally reached (50K)
- 0.2% Superficially reached (42K)
- 6.5% Partially reached (1.4M)
- 92.5% Significantly reached (20.1M)
- 5.3% Unreached (4)
- 2.7% Minimally reached (2)
- 5.3% Superficially reached (4)
- 28% Partially reached (21)
- 58.7% Significantly reached (44)
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
| People | Population | Language | Evang. | Chr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarati Frontier | 2.9M | Gujarati | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Muslim Yao | 3.9M | Yao | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Swahili Frontier | 1.2M | Swahili | 0.9% | 1.8% |
| Tambo | 29K | Nyamwanga | 0.9% | 15% |
| Greek | 10M | Greek | 0.3% | 94.4% |
| Serb | 7.9M | Serbian | 0.5% | 81.1% |
| Deaf Frontier | 27.5M | Pakistan Sign Language | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| French | 52M | French | 1.1% | 66.7% |
| Italian | 37.4M | Italian | 1.3% | 86.2% |
| Leya | 23K | Tonga (Zambia) | 2% | 20% |
| Portuguese | 17.8M | Portuguese | 2.9% | 94.6% |
| Congo Swahili | 58K | Congo Swahili | 3% | 16.1% |
| Tumbuka Yombe | 5K | Tumbuka | 3% | 90% |
| Yauma | 66K | Yauma | 3.9% | 64.6% |
| Iwa | 10K | Nyamwanga | 4% | 70% |
| Nyika | 19K | Nyika | 4% | 75% |
| Subia | 51K | Kuhane | 4.2% | 40.3% |
| Ambo | 6K | Lala-Bisa | 5% | 90% |
| Shasha Mashasha | 3K | Nkoya | 6% | 60% |
| Totela | 3K | Totela | 6% | 45% |
| Toka | 34K | Tonga (Zambia) | 7% | 45% |
| Mbukushu | 129K | Mbukushu | 7.8% | 53.1% |
| Mbowe | 1K | Mbowe | 8% | 45% |
| Luano | 4K | Lala-Bisa | 8% | 80% |
| Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese | 925.1M | Mandarin Chinese | 8.3% | 9.9% |
| Nyamwanga | 517K | Nyamwanga | 8.1% | 76.4% |
| British | 55M | English | 8.9% | 60.4% |
| Kunda | 295K | Kunda | 9% | 55% |
| Simaa | 11K | Simaa | 9% | 45% |
| Simaa-Makoma | 37K | Simaa | 9.8% | 39.5% |
| Tabwa | 1.5M | Taabwa | 10.2% | 93.6% |
| Silowana | 36K | Language unknown | 11% | 30% |
| Sala | 53K | Sala | 11% | 45% |
| Lambya | 243K | Lambya | 11.2% | 85.7% |
| Mbunda | 580K | Mbunda | 11.5% | 70.3% |
| Tanzanian Nyiha | 1.4M | Nyiha (Tanzania) | 11.9% | 40% |
| Cishinga | 146K | Bemba | 12% | 80% |
| Tabwa Shila | 9K | Taabwa | 12% | 90% |
| Simaa-Mwenyi | 10K | Simaa | 12% | 45% |
| Senga | 219K | Tumbuka | 12% | 75% |
| Kxoe Xun | 10K | Khwedam | 12.5% | 19.7% |
| Mukulu | 12K | Bemba | 13% | 80% |
| Masi | 49K | Mashi (Zambia) | 13% | 40% |
| Simaa-Imilangu Mdundulu | 8K | Simaa | 14% | 75% |
| Nsenga | 1.2M | Nsenga | 14.9% | 76.8% |
| Tumbuka | 3.9M | Tumbuka | 14.9% | 95.3% |
| Kabende | 102K | Bemba | 16% | 95% |
| Bwile | 154K | Bwile | 16.1% | 95.2% |
| Mambwe-Lungu | 1.1M | Mambwe-Lungu | 16.9% | 56.2% |
| Ila | 221K | Ila | 17% | 60% |
| Lenje | 290K | Lenje | 17% | 70% |
| Lunda Luapula | 269K | Bemba | 18% | 93% |
| Soli | 77K | Soli | 18% | 55% |
| Luyana | 6K | Luyana | 18% | 80% |
| Swaka | 85K | Lala-Bisa | 18% | 84% |
| Lozi | 1.7M | Lozi | 18.4% | 84.2% |
| Aushi | 759K | Aushi | 19.8% | 94.9% |
| Luvale Lwena | 1.1M | Luvale | 20.1% | 83.1% |
| Lala-Bisa | 1M | Lala-Bisa | 20.1% | 95.5% |
| Unga | 56K | Bemba | 21% | 95% |
| Lamba | 494K | Lamba | 21.4% | 94.2% |
| Lamba-Lima | 5K | Lamba | 22% | 95% |
| Bisa | 448K | Lala-Bisa | 22% | 95% |
| Afrikaner | 5.1M | Afrikaans | 22.9% | 89.7% |
| Lunda | 1.2M | Lunda | 23.6% | 91.7% |
| Kaonde | 560K | Kaonde | 24.1% | 91.5% |
| Nkoya Lambya | 79K | Nkoya | 25% | 60% |
| Zambezi Tonga | 3.3M | Tonga (Zambia) | 25.1% | 91.1% |
| Nyanja | 15.2M | Chichewa | 26.5% | 88.1% |
| Ndebele | 2.1M | Ndebele (Zimbabwe) | 26.6% | 78.8% |
| Rwandan Hutu | 14.3M | Kinyarwanda | 27.2% | 90.2% |
| Shona | 1.5M | Shona | 31.1% | 80.4% |
| Bemba | 6.8M | Bemba | 32.4% | 96.9% |
| Chokwe | 4.3M | Chokwe | 33.7% | 87.5% |
| Luchazi | 849K | Luchazi | 44.6% | 91.1% |
Intercede for Zambia and its peoples
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