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People group profile · PG022836

The Makassar of Indonesia

The Makassar of Indonesia, numbering about 3,255,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Bugi-Makassar of Sulawesi people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Makasar.

Pray for the MakassarPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
3,255,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Bugi-Makassar of Sulawesi
Primary language
Makasar (mak)
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
South Sulawesi province: Bantaeng, Gowa, Jeneponto, Maros, Pangkajene Dan Kepulauan, and Takalar regencies; southwest peninsula

Where they live

Gospel status

The Makassar 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 Makassar

  • 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

100% adherents

Primary language

Makasar · Austronesian family

100% speak Makasar

Gospel resources in Makasar

  • Bible available, published 1999
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Makassar

  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.

Download a prayer guide

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