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People group profile · PG048874

The Bunak of Timor-Leste

The Bunak of Timor-Leste, numbering about 73,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Papuan-language people of central Timor's mountains, linguistically isolated from the Austronesian-speaking Kemak, Mambai, Tetun, and Atoni communities that surround them on all sides.

They are an indigenous people in the Timor people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Bunak.

Pray for the BunakPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Timor-Leste
Population
73,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Timor
Primary language
Bunak (bfn)
Primary religion
Animism
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 ?
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bunak 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 No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Bunak

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

80% adherents

Primary language

Bunak · Timor-Alor-Pantar family

100% speak Bunak

Gospel resources in Bunak

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not 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 Bunak

  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

Bunak in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
BunakIndonesia100,000No Longer Unreached

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