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People group profile · PG041242

The Koiri of India

The Koiri of India, numbering about 8,500,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnocultural community of northern India and Nepal who primarily speak Magahi. They preserve a distinct identity through Hindu traditions, family networks, and a long heritage of market gardening and agriculture.

They are an indigenous people in the Other South Asian people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Magahi.

Pray for the KoiriPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
8,500,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Other South Asian
Primary language
Magahi (mag)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

Where they live

Gospel status

The Koiri 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 but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting

Next steps for the Koiri

  • 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

Hinduism

99% adherents

Primary language

Magahi · Indo-European family

75% speak Magahi

Gospel resources in Magahi

  • Bible available, published 2016
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Koiri

  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

Koiri, Hindu in other countries

The same people (ROP3 112604) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
KoiriNepal439,000Engaged yet Unreached

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