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People group profile · PG018375

The Tiri of New Caledonia

The Tiri of New Caledonia, numbering about 700 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of New Caledonia.

They are an indigenous people in the New Caledonia people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Tiri.

Pray for the TiriPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
New Caledonia
Population
700
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Caledonia
Primary language
Tiri (cir)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Melanesia, Oceania
Location
South province: west coast, Couli (Sarraméa), La Foa lower valleys (Tîrî dialect); east coast, Kouaoua, upper valleys (Méa dialect)

Where they live

Gospel status

The Tiri 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 Tiri

  • 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

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

95% adherents

Primary language

Tiri · Austronesian family

75% speak Tiri

Gospel resources in Tiri

  • 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 Tiri

  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.

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