Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG050530

The Alak Sanak of Laos

The Alak Sanak of Laos, numbering about 5,100 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an indigenous Alak subgroup living in six villages of Lamam District, Sekong Province, whose Sanak language remains in community use alongside Lao.

They are an indigenous people in the Mon-Khmer people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Alak.

Pray for the Alak SanakPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Laos
Population
5,100
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Mon-Khmer
Primary language
Alak (alk)
Primary religion
Animism
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
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Sekong province, La Mam district: 6 villages

Where they live

Gospel status

The Alak Sanak 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 Alak Sanak

  • 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

99% adherents

Primary language

Alak · Austroasiatic family

60% speak Alak

Gospel resources in Alak

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings 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 Alak Sanak

  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

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.