People group profile · PG006413
The Urdu of Pakistan
The Urdu of Pakistan, numbering about 17,560,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a diverse Urdu-speaking community of Pakistan descended largely from Muslim migrants who settled in the country after the 1947 Partition, maintaining a distinct cultural identity rooted in North Indian urban traditions.
They are an indigenous people in the Urdu people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Urdu.
Fast facts
- Country
- Pakistan
- Population
- 17,560,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Urdu
- Primary language
- Urdu (urd)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread
Where they live
Gospel status
The Urdu are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Urdu
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Urdu · Indo-European family
95% speak Urdu
Gospel resources in Urdu
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Urdu)
- Magdalena (Urdu)
- The Savior (Urdu (Indian))
- The Savior (Urdu)
Bibles
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Pakistan Bible Society · audio
- Revised · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Urdu
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Urdu in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110423) is reported in 21 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urdu | Saudi Arabia | 2,145,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | United Kingdom | 1,220,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Pakistani | United States | 668,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | United Arab Emirates | 253,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Canada | 221,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Qatar | 180,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Oman | 137,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | France | 110,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Germany | 96,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Pakistani | Spain | 92,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Bahrain | 78,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Turkiye | 27,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Denmark | 26,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Afghanistan | 20,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Malaysia | 17,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Belgium | 9,900 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Ireland | 9,400 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Pakistani | Thailand | 5,600 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Iraq | 4,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Kuwait | 4,200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Guyana | 4,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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