Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG039050

The Central Chatino of Mexico

The Central Chatino of Mexico, numbering about 26,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic subgroup of the Chatino, a family of indigenous Mesoamerican languages classified under the Zapotecan branch of the Oto-Manguean language family.

They are an indigenous people in the Zapotec people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Spanish.

Pray for the Central ChatinoPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Central Chatino people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Chatino, Central

Fast facts

Country
Mexico
Population
26,500
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
Zapotec
Primary language
Spanish (spa)
Primary religion
Folk Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Central America, Americas
Location
Oaxaca: Juquila district, Panixtlahuaca, San Juan Quiahije, Yaitepec towns; Ixtapan, Tepenixtelahuaca, Ixpantepec, Amialtepec villages; some hamlets

Where they live

Gospel status

The Central Chatino are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Central Chatino

  • 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

Folk Catholicism · Christianity

87% adherents

Primary language

Spanish · Indo-European family

100% speak Spanish

Gospel resources in Spanish

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

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Central Chatino

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

Download a prayer guide

Chatino, Western Highland in other countries

The same people (ROP3 110759) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
Central ChatinoUnited States2,600No Longer Unreached

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.