+15
+3
People cluster
Arab
Unreached
0.2%
Evangelicals
Who they are
The Arabs are one of the largest peoples in the world, with more than 300 million people. What unites them is the Arabic language, the same language as the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and a long shared history that began on the Arabian Peninsula, where Saudi Arabia and Yemen are today. From the 7th century on, with the spread of Islam, Arabic language and culture reached across the Middle East and North Africa.
Today Arabs live in more than twenty countries, from Morocco to Iraq, including Egypt, Sudan, Syria and the Gulf states. Millions also live in Europe and the Americas. There are Arabs in large modern cities, in farming villages, and among herders who still move with their flocks across the desert.
The vast majority are Muslim, and the Islamic faith shapes family, the calendar and life in society. There are very old Arab churches, but Christians are a small minority, and many Muslims have never clearly heard who Jesus is.
What sets the subgroups apart
The Arabic spoken in everyday life changes a great deal from region to region. A Moroccan and an Iraqi write the same language, but in conversation they do not always understand each other. That is why people speak of large blocs: the Arabic of North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya), that of Egypt and Sudan, that of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, that of Iraq, and that of the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf.
There are also differences of faith. Most are Sunni Muslims, the larger branch of Islam. In Iraq and, among the citizens of Bahrain, most follow the Shia branch, which gives a special place to the descendants of Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, and in Lebanon there are also many Shia. There are also groups with their own religion, such as the Druze and the Alawites, who live mainly in Syria and Lebanon and hold beliefs different from those of mainstream Islam, and ancient Christian communities, such as those in Lebanon.
Ways of life vary a lot. In Sudan and Chad, groups such as the Baggara live from raising cattle and move with the seasons. In Mauritania, the Moors have a tradition of desert life. In the Gulf countries, on the other hand, most people live in rich, modern cities.
Where they are still unreached
99
Countries
304.1M
Population
| Country | Share of the people | Population |
|---|---|---|
Yemen
|
13.2%
|
40.002.500 |
Sudan
|
12.2%
|
37.243.500 |
Algeria
|
11.5%
|
34.941.000 |
Iraq
|
11.1%
|
33.741.000 |
Morocco
|
9.2%
|
28.078.000 |
Saudi Arabia
|
7.6%
|
23.167.900 |
Syria
|
6.8%
|
20.631.000 |
Tunisia
|
4%
|
12.085.000 |
Egypt
|
3.8%
|
11.606.000 |
Jordan
|
3.1%
|
9.299.500 |
Palestinian Territories
|
1.6%
|
4.963.000 |
Libya
|
1.6%
|
4.780.000 |
Mauritania
|
1.4%
|
4.378.500 |
Chad
|
1.4%
|
4.352.000 |
Lebanon
|
1.2%
|
3.753.000 |
Oman
|
1.2%
|
3.541.400 |
Turkey
|
1.1%
|
3.266.800 |
United Arab Emirates
|
0.9%
|
2.649.000 |
Kuwait
|
0.8%
|
2.397.000 |
Qatar
|
0.6%
|
1.885.000 |
Israel
|
0.6%
|
1.773.000 |
Germany
|
0.6%
|
1.685.000 |
Argentina
|
0.5%
|
1.504.000 |
France
|
0.5%
|
1.486.100 |
Iran
|
0.3%
|
906.000 |
Spain
|
0.3%
|
872.000 |
Bahrain
|
0.2%
|
685.000 |
Netherlands
|
0.2%
|
611.000 |
South Sudan
|
0.2%
|
607.000 |
United States
|
0.2%
|
554.400 |
Italy
|
0.2%
|
539.000 |
Belgium
|
0.2%
|
457.500 |
Western Sahara
|
0.1%
|
415.300 |
United Kingdom
|
0.1%
|
390.000 |
Canada
|
0.1%
|
374.900 |
Niger
|
0.1%
|
336.500 |
Tanzania
|
0.1%
|
309.000 |
Nigeria
|
0.1%
|
304.000 |
Indonesia
|
0.1%
|
293.000 |
Australia
|
0.1%
|
269.000 |
Senegal
|
0.1%
|
260.000 |
Cameroon
|
0.1%
|
229.000 |
Mexico
|
0.1%
|
218.000 |
Sweden
|
0.1%
|
204.000 |
Mali
|
0.1%
|
186.000 |
Central African Republic
|
0.1%
|
154.400 |
Somalia
|
0%
|
150.900 |
Denmark
|
0%
|
140.100 |
Eritrea
|
0%
|
136.000 |
Venezuela
|
0%
|
126.000 |
Norway
|
0%
|
98.400 |
Côte d’Ivoire
|
0%
|
98.000 |
Liberia
|
0%
|
68.000 |
Djibouti
|
0%
|
68.000 |
Kenya
|
0%
|
67.000 |
Madagascar
|
0%
|
66.000 |
Switzerland
|
0%
|
57.400 |
Austria
|
0%
|
56.000 |
Sierra Leone
|
0%
|
48.000 |
Gambia
|
0%
|
39.000 |
Philippines
|
0%
|
35.000 |
Congo - Kinshasa
|
0%
|
34.000 |
Finland
|
0%
|
32.000 |
Ethiopia
|
0%
|
29.700 |
Portugal
|
0%
|
26.000 |
Burkina Faso
|
0%
|
25.000 |
Ireland
|
0%
|
24.000 |
Jamaica
|
0%
|
21.000 |
Panama
|
0%
|
17.400 |
Ukraine
|
0%
|
17.300 |
Serbia
|
0%
|
17.000 |
Uganda
|
0%
|
17.000 |
Russia
|
0%
|
16.000 |
Malaysia
|
0%
|
16.000 |
Cyprus
|
0%
|
15.000 |
Greece
|
0%
|
14.700 |
Colombia
|
0%
|
13.000 |
Bulgaria
|
0%
|
11.000 |
Togo
|
0%
|
10.000 |
Luxembourg
|
0%
|
8.100 |
Tajikistan
|
0%
|
7.300 |
New Zealand
|
0%
|
6.700 |
Guinea
|
0%
|
6.400 |
South Africa
|
0%
|
6.100 |
Gabon
|
0%
|
6.100 |
Haiti
|
0%
|
5.700 |
Sri Lanka
|
0%
|
5.700 |
North Macedonia
|
0%
|
5.500 |
Pakistan
|
0%
|
5.400 |
Hungary
|
0%
|
5.200 |
Afghanistan
|
0%
|
5.100 |
Malta
|
0%
|
2.700 |
Gibraltar
|
0%
|
1.900 |
French Guiana
|
0%
|
1.600 |
Uzbekistan
|
0%
|
1.200 |
Kazakhstan
|
0%
|
700 |
Andorra
|
0%
|
600 |
Kyrgyzstan
|
0%
|
500 |
Monaco
|
0%
|
200 |
The 103 peoples in this cluster
+15
+22
+28
+18
+21
+1
+6
+5
+10
+20
+3
+12
+9
+30
+6
+4
+4
+10
+25
+1
+1
+1
+7
+2
+4
What to pray for
Intercede for this people
May Muslim Arabs have easy access to the Scriptures and to Christian content in the Arabic they speak every day.
For the ancient Arab churches, such as those in Lebanon, that they may be light and salt among their neighbors.
For Arabs who follow Jesus in places where family and community reject that choice, that they may have courage and protection.
For the millions of refugees and displaced people from Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Sudan, that they may find peace, care and the love of Christ.
For the groups who live with cattle and camels in Sudan, Chad and Mauritania, that the gospel may reach them in a way they understand.
May Christians from other countries who live alongside Arabs in Europe and the Americas welcome them with friendship and hospitality.