People group profile · PG022040
The Rakhine of Myanmar
The Rakhine of Myanmar, numbering about 2,205,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Myanmar.
They are an indigenous people in the Burmese people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, and they primarily speak Rakhine.
Fast facts
- Country
- Myanmar
- Population
- 2,205,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Burmese
- Primary language
- Rakhine (rki)
- Primary religion
- Theravada Buddhism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Rakhine are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Rakhine
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Theravada Buddhism · Buddhism
80% adherents
Primary language
Rakhine · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Rakhine
Gospel resources in Rakhine
- Bible available, published 1914
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Rakhine)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Rakhine
- 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Arakanese (Rakhine) in other countries
The same people (ROP3 106013) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mag | India | 57,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Rakkain | Bangladesh | 34,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Rakhine | United States | 7,700 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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