People group profile · PG024104
The Uyghurs of China
The Uyghurs of China, numbering about 9,610,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic people native to Central and East Asia, with their historic homeland centered in the region they call East Turkestan and that is today the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwestern China.
They are an indigenous people in the Uyghur people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Uighur.
Fast facts
- Country
- China
- Population
- 9,610,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Uyghur
- Primary language
- Uighur (uig)
- 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
- Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Uyghurs 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 Uyghurs
- 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
99% adherents
Primary language
Uighur · Turkic family
100% speak Uighur
Gospel resources in Uighur
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Uyghur)
Bibles
- Hazirqi Zaman Uyghurche Terjimisi/ Modern Uyghur · video, audio, text
- Hazirqi Zaman Uyghurche Terjimisi/ Modern Uyghur · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Uyghurs
- 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.
Uyghur in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110469) is reported in 7 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uyghurs | Kazakhstan | 294,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uyghurs | Uzbekistan | 66,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uyghurs | Turkiye | 47,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uyghurs | Kyrgyzstan | 27,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uyghurs | United States | 10,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uyghurs | Saudi Arabia | 9,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Uyghurs | Canada | 1,700 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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