People group profile · PG024529
The Tajiks of Tajikistan
The Tajiks of Tajikistan, numbering about 7,405,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are descendants of ancient Eastern Iranian peoples of Central Asia, including Sogdians, Bactrians, and Sakas, who shifted from their ancestral tongues to Persian after the 7th-century Islamic conquest, with the Samanid Empire regarded as an ancestral polity.
They are an indigenous people in the Tajik people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Tajik.
Fast facts
- Country
- Tajikistan
- Population
- 7,405,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Tajik
- Primary language
- Tajik (tgk)
- 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 Tajiks 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 Tajiks
- 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
Tajik · Indo-European family
80% speak Tajik
Gospel resources in Tajik
- Bible available, published 2016
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 1992, 1999 Institute for Bible Translation - Stockholm · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Tajiks
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Tajik in other countries
The same people (ROP3 109733) is reported in 10 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tajiks | Afghanistan | 11,460,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tajiks | Pakistan | 1,885,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tajiks | Uzbekistan | 1,730,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tajiks | Russian Federation | 1,240,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tajiks | Kyrgyzstan | 65,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tajiks | Kazakhstan | 34,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tajiks | Germany | 25,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tajiks | Turkmenistan | 5,900 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tajiks | Canada | 3,100 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tajiks | United States | 2,400 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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