People group profile · PG041847
The Divehi of India
The Divehi of India, numbering about 75,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Maldives archipelago and the island of Minicoy (Maliku), which is part of India’s Lakshadweep territory.
They are an indigenous people in the Maldivian people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Dhivehi.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 75,500
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Maldivian
- Primary language
- Dhivehi (div)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Laccadive, Maldivians
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Lakshadweep territory
Where they live
Gospel status
The Divehi are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Divehi
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Dhivehi · Indo-European family
100% speak Dhivehi
Gospel resources in Dhivehi
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Dhivehi)
Bibles
- Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Divehi
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- 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.
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