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People group profile · PG049139

The Koiri of Nepal

The Koiri of Nepal, numbering about 439,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnocultural community of northern India and Nepal who primarily speak Magahi. They preserve a distinct identity through Hindu traditions, family networks, and a long heritage of market gardening and agriculture.

They are an indigenous people in the Other South Asian people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Nepali (individual language).

Pray for the KoiriPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Nepal
Population
439,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Other South Asian
Primary language
Nepali (individual language) (npi)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Koiri 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 Koiri

  • 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

Hinduism

99% adherents

Primary language

Nepali (individual language) · Indo-European family

100% speak Nepali (individual language)

Gospel resources in Nepali (individual language)

  • Bible available, published 2012
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Koiri

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

Download a prayer guide

Koiri, Hindu in other countries

The same people (ROP3 112604) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
KoiriIndia8,500,000Engaged yet Unreached

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