People group profile · PG046350
The Santal of India
The Santal of India, numbering about 9,135,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Austroasiatic-speaking Munda tribal group indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.
They are an indigenous people in the Munda-Santal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Santali.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 9,135,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Munda-Santal
- Primary language
- Santali (sat)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5%
- GSEC
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Marginally Reached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Bihar: Bhagalpur and Munger districts; Jharkhand: Hazaribagh and Manbhum districts; Odisha: Balasore district; West Bengal: Bankura and Birbhum districts; Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura states
Where they live
Gospel status
The Santal are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Santal
- 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 Hinduism · Hinduism
92% adherents
Primary language
Santali · Austroasiatic family
100% speak Santali
Gospel resources in Santali
- Bible available, published 2005
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Santal
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- 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.
Santal in other countries
The same people (ROP3 108674) is reported in 3 other countries.
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