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People group profile · PG022424

The Betawi of Indonesia

The Betawi of Indonesia, numbering about 5,625,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Sunda-Betawi of Java people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Betawi.

Pray for the BetawiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
5,625,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Sunda-Betawi of Java
Primary language
Betawi (bew)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
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
Location
Banten province: Tangerang recency and city; dominant in Jakarta Special Capital Region; West Java province: Bekasi, Bogar, and Karawang regencies, also Bekasi and Depok cities

Where they live

Gospel status

The Betawi 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 Betawi

  • 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

Sunni Islam · Islam

97% adherents

Primary language

Betawi · Austronesian family

76% speak Betawi

Gospel resources in Betawi

  • Bible available, published 2020
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories available

Films

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

Pray for the Betawi

  1. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  2. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  3. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  4. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.

Download a prayer guide

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