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People group profile · PG048902

The Shompen of India

The Shompen of India, numbering about 600 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an isolated Scheduled Tribe of Great Nicobar Island in the Andamans, living in small mobile bands and largely avoiding outside contact. Hunting, fishing, and gathering of pandanus remain their primary means of subsistence.

They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Shom Peng.

Pray for the ShompenPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
600
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
South Asian Tribal
Primary language
Shom Peng (sii)
Primary religion
Animism
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
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: interior Great Nicobar island

Where they live

Gospel status

The Shompen 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Shompen

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

64% adherents

Primary language

Shom Peng

100% speak Shom Peng

Gospel resources in Shom Peng

  • Bible not available
  • 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 Shompen

  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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