People cluster

Berber

Peoples40

Population23.7M

Unreached

0.2%

Evangelicals

Who they are

The Berbers are the oldest peoples of North Africa. They were already living there long before the Arabs arrived in the 7th century. Many prefer to be called Amazigh, a word usually translated as “free people.” They speak languages that are similar to one another, known together as Tamazight, which some write with an alphabet of their own, Tifinagh.

Today there are more than 23 million of them, mainly in Algeria and Morocco, with smaller groups in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritania. Many live in the mountains, such as the Atlas and Kabylia, in villages of farmers and herders of sheep and goats. Others live in the big cities, and there are large communities in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, made up of those who emigrated looking for work.

Almost all are Muslim, often with old customs mixed into their faith, such as visiting the tombs of men considered saints. In the past, North Africa had many Christians, and Augustine, one of the great teachers of the Church, was born there. Today followers of Jesus among the Berbers are few, although they are growing in some regions.

What sets the subgroups apart

The Berbers share the same roots, but each region has its own language and history. In Algeria live the Kabyle, from the Kabylia mountains east of Algiers, and the Chaouia, from the Aurès mountains. Among the Kabyle, more people have begun to follow Jesus in recent decades, although they are still a small part of the people. In Morocco, the Riffians live in the Rif mountains in the north, and many have emigrated to the Netherlands and Belgium. The Chleuh live in the south, in the High Atlas and the Souss valley, and are known for trade. Other groups, such as those of the Middle Atlas, live in mountain villages.

There are also differences in faith. The Mozabites, who live in the towns of the M’zab valley in the Algerian desert, follow Ibadism, a branch of Islam different from the one most Muslims follow. In oases, places with water and palm trees in the middle of the desert, such as Siwa in Egypt and Ghadames in Libya, small isolated Berber groups live with their own ways of speaking and customs.

Where they are still unreached

Countries

23.7M

Population

Country	Share of the people	Population
Algeria	48.7%	11.554.000
Morocco	41.4%	9.825.000
France	5.8%	1.382.200
Libya	1.3%	316.100
Netherlands	0.7%	173.000
Western Sahara	0.7%	155.000
Belgium	0.4%	98.000
Tunisia	0.2%	44.800
United States	0.2%	41.000
Italy	0.2%	39.000
Canada	0.1%	32.000
Egypt	0.1%	27.000
United Kingdom	0.1%	15.000
Mauritania	0%	4.300
Niger	0%	2.600
Senegal	0%	600