People group profile · PG013259
The Akyem of Ghana
The Akyem of Ghana, numbering about 1,070,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Akan people whose name derives from Okyem, meaning leopard, tracing origin to Adanse before founding Akyem Abuakwa by the 1500s, which dominated the gold-rich Birim River trade before wars with the Akwamu and Asante split Akyem into three states.
They are an indigenous people in the Guinean people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Neo-Pentecostalism, and they primarily speak Akan.

Fast facts
- Country
- Ghana
- Population
- 1,070,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Guinean
- Primary language
- Akan (aka)
- Primary religion
- Neo-Pentecostalism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10%
- GSEC
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Marginally Reached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
- Location
- Widespread
Where they live
Gospel status
The Akyem are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Akyem
- 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
Primary religion
Neo-Pentecostalism · Christianity
Primary language
Akan · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Akan
Gospel resources in Akan
- Bible available, published 1964
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Fante)
- JESUS (Asante Twi)
- JESUS (Twi)
- JESUS (Fante)
- JESUS (Asante Twi)
- JESUS (Twi)
- Magdalena (Twi)
- Magdalena (Asante Twi)
Bibles
- 1964 Bible Society of Ghana · audio
- 1964 Bible Society of Ghana · video, audio
- 1982 Bible Society of Ghana · audio
- 2012 Bible Society of Ghana · video, audio, text
- Asante-Twi Bible With Deutero-Canons · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Akyem
- 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.
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