Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG009175

The Sila of Laos

The Sila of Laos, numbering about 3,700 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Laos.

They are an indigenous people in the Other Tibeto-Burmese people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Sila.

Pray for the SilaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Sila people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Sila

Fast facts

Country
Laos
Population
3,700
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary language
Sila (slt)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Luang Namtha province; Oudomxai province: Namo district; Phongsali province: Boun Neua, Ngot Ou, and Samphan districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sila are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, there are no evangelical Christians or churches among this people group and there is no access to evangelical print, audio, visual or human resources.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Sila

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

100% adherents

Primary language

Sila · Sino-Tibetan family

100% speak Sila

Gospel resources in Sila

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Sila

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Sila in other countries

The same people (ROP3 109001) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
SilaVietnam700Unengaged and Unreached

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.