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People group profile · PG046622

The Deaf Salvadorans of El Salvador

The Deaf Salvadorans of El Salvador, numbering about 75,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.

They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Salvadoran Sign Language.

Pray for the Deaf SalvadoransPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
El Salvador
Population
75,000
Affinity group
Deaf Peoples
People cluster
Deaf
Primary language
Salvadoran Sign Language (esn)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Central America, Americas

Where they live

Gospel status

The Deaf Salvadorans 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 Deaf Salvadorans

  • 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

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

Primary language

Salvadoran Sign Language · Sign Language family

35% speak Salvadoran Sign Language

Gospel resources in Salvadoran Sign Language

  • Bible available, published 2021
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

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

Pray for the Deaf Salvadorans

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

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