People group profile · PG006443
The Telugu of Sri Lanka
The Telugu of Sri Lanka, numbering about 13,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Indo-Iranian ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the India states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry.
They are a diaspora people in the Telugu people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Telugu.

Fast facts
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Population
- 13,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Telugu
- Primary language
- Telugu (tel)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5%
- GSEC
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Marginally Reached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread
Where they live
Gospel status
The Telugu are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Telugu
- Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
- Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
- Send out laborers from this people to the nations
Gospel resources in Telugu
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- Magdalena (Telugu)
- The Savior (Telugu)
Bibles
- Contemporary Version · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Christmas Film · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Easter Film · video
- Easy to Read Version · audio, text
- Grace Ministries · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Telugu
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- 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.
Telugu in other countries
The same people (ROP3 109930) is reported in 9 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telugu | United Arab Emirates | 518,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | United States | 428,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | Myanmar | 271,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | Malaysia | 138,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Telugu | Bahrain | 34,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | Canada | 17,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | Bangladesh | 12,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Telugu | Singapore | 850 | No Longer Unreached |
| Telugu | Kuwait | 850 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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