People group profile · PG020934
The Phunoi of Laos
The Phunoi of Laos, numbering about 48,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a small Tibeto‑Burman ethnic group living mainly in the mountains of northern Laos (and nearby Vietnam/Thailand).
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 Phunoi.

Fast facts
- Country
- Laos
- Population
- 48,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Other Tibeto-Burmese
- Primary language
- Phunoi (pho)
- 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
- Phongsali province: around the town of Phongsali
Where they live
Gospel status
The Phunoi 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 Phunoi
- 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
Phunoi · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Phunoi
Gospel resources in Phunoi
- 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 Phunoi
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Phunoi in other countries
The same people (ROP3 108015) is reported in 2 other countries.
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