People group profile · PG024376
The Uzbeks of Kyrgyzstan
The Uzbeks of Kyrgyzstan, numbering about 1,075,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic ethnolinguistic people of Central Asia whose identity emerged through a long process of interaction and integration among Turkic, Iranian, and Mongol populations in the region.
They are an indigenous people in the Uzbek people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Northern Uzbek.

Fast facts
- Country
- Kyrgyzstan
- Population
- 1,075,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Uzbek
- Primary language
- Northern Uzbek (uzn)
- 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
- Central Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Uzbeks 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 Uzbeks
- 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
Northern Uzbek · Turkic family
100% speak Northern Uzbek
Gospel resources in Northern Uzbek
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Institute for Bible Translation, Sweden · audio, text
- Muqaddas Kitob, 2019 · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Uzbeks
- 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.
Uzbek, Northern in other countries
The same people (ROP3 107469) is reported in 6 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbeks | Uzbekistan | 28,540,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uzbeks | Tajikistan | 2,545,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uzbeks | Turkmenistan | 590,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uzbeks | Kazakhstan | 578,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Uzbeks | China | 12,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Uzbeks | Canada | 4,200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.