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People group profile · PG023014

The Ninia Yali of Indonesia

The Ninia Yali of Indonesia, numbering about 15,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the New Guinea people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Ninia Yali.

Pray for the Ninia YaliPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
15,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Ninia Yali (nlk)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Papua province: central highlands, Holuwon, Lolat, and Ninia villages

Where they live

Gospel status

The Ninia Yali are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Ninia Yali

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

65% adherents

Primary language

Ninia Yali · Nuclear Trans New Guinea family

100% speak Ninia Yali

Gospel resources in Ninia Yali

  • Bible available, published 2000
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Bibles

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

Pray for the Ninia Yali

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

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