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People group profile · PG022764

The Manggarai of Indonesia

The Manggarai of Indonesia, numbering about 651,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a people of western Flores whose oral tradition traces ancestry to Minangkabau, Sumatra, organized by the Bima Sultanate into 39 chiefdoms until an 1929 separation, traditionally living in circular villages divided into nobles, commoners, and slaves.

They are an indigenous people in the Flores-Sumba-Alor people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Manggarai.

Pray for the ManggaraiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
651,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Flores-Sumba-Alor
Primary language
Manggarai (mqy)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and 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
East Nusa Tenggara province: Flores island, western third

Where they live

Gospel status

The Manggarai 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, 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Manggarai

  • 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

92% adherents

Primary language

Manggarai · Austronesian family

100% speak Manggarai

Gospel resources in Manggarai

  • Bible available, published 2013
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

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

Pray for the Manggarai

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

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