People group profile · PG023984
The Wakhi of Afghanistan
The Wakhi of Afghanistan, numbering about 17,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Eastern Iranian ethnic group native to the Pamir Mountains and surrounding high-altitude regions of Central Asia.
They are an indigenous people in the Tajik people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Wakhi.
Fast facts
- Country
- Afghanistan
- Population
- 17,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Tajik
- Primary language
- Wakhi (wbl)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Khik
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Badakhshan province: Wakhan district, Panj river area to Sarhad village; Khandud village is the center. 42 villages
Where they live
Gospel status
The Wakhi 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Wakhi
- 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
Shia Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
Wakhi · Indo-European family
70% speak Wakhi
Gospel resources in Wakhi
- Bible available, published 2001
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Wakhi
- 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.
Khik (Wakhi) in other countries
The same people (ROP3 103535) is reported in 3 other countries.
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