Country: Sri Lanka
South Asia Peoples website
People Groups
Total
149
People Groups Unreached
65 (43.6%)
People Groups Unreached Frontier
45 (30.2%)
Population
Total
23,025,000
Population in Unreached
3,670,000 (15.9%)
Population in Unreached Frontier
2,868,000 (12.5%)
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.
| Photo | People Group |
Population this Ctry |
Population Global |
Count Ctrys |
Indigenous | Primary Language |
Primary Religion |
Progress Scale |
% Evangelical Range |
% Christian Adh Range |
Workers Needed * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ilavan | 75,000 | 5,977,000 | 2 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
0
|
-1 Unknown | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
Ilavan Christian | 11,000 | 131,000 | 2 | ● | Tamil | Christianity |
3
|
-1 Unknown | 50-100% ● | -1 - |
|
|
Indian Tamil | 11,000 | 11,000 | 1 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
Japanese | 2,500 | 119,713,000 | 51 | Japanese | Buddhism |
1
|
-1 Unknown | 2-5% ● | 1 | |
|
Jat (Hindu traditions) | 1,700 | 22,581,000 | 4 | ● | Punjabi, Eastern | Hinduism |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
Jat (Muslim traditions) | 1,900 | 18,652,000 | 7 | ● | Punjabi, Western | Islam |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
Javanese | 9,300 | 19,070,000 | 9 | Javanese | Islam |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 | |
|
Kaikolan | 85,000 | 2,606,000 | 2 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
Kallan | 19,000 | 1,372,000 | 2 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
Kapu | 1,500 | 19,417,000 | 2 | ● | Telugu | Hinduism |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
|
Karaiyar | 211,000 | 211,000 | 1 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
|
Karava | 1,164,000 | 1,164,000 | 1 | ● | Sinhala | Buddhism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
Kasar (Hindu traditions) | 3,700 | 687,000 | 3 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
|
Kiddea | 17,000 | 17,000 | 1 | ● | Sinhala | Buddhism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
Kinnara | 31,000 | 31,000 | 1 | ● | Sinhala | Buddhism |
1
|
-1 Unknown | 0.1-2% ● | 1 |
|
|
Konta Durayi | 2,100 | 2,100 | 1 | ● | Sinhala | Buddhism |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
|
Koviar | 228,000 | 228,000 | 1 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
|
Koviyar | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
Kumhar, Kusavar (Hindu traditions) | 6,800 | 16,710,000 | 5 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
Kuravan (Hindu traditions) | 4,400 | 436,000 | 2 | ● | Tamil | Hinduism |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
|
Kustarogiyo | 16,000 | 16,000 | 1 | ● | Sinhala | Buddhism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 5-10% ● | -1 - |
|
Malay, Javar | 56,000 | 18,882,000 | 28 | Sri Lankan Malay Creole | Islam |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 | |
|
|
Malayan, caste | 1,700 | 37,000 | 2 | ● | Malayalam | Hinduism |
2
|
-1 Unknown | 10-50% ● | -1 - |
|
Mappila | 12,000 | 8,903,000 | 2 | ● | Malayalam | Islam |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
|
|
Marakkalage | 9,500 | 9,500 | 1 | ● | Tamil | Islam |
0
|
0-0.1% ● | 0-0.1% ● | 1 |
| Totals: 149 | 23,025,000 | 65 ◼︎ (45 ✸︎) | 0.00 % | 7.59 % | 116 | ||||||
| Unclassified / Other Individuals | 204,000 | ||||||||||
| UN Country Population (2025) | 23,229,000 |
| Province ▲ | Population | People Groups | Unreached Groups |
% Unreached Peoples |
Population in Unreached |
% Population Unreached |
Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 2,871,000 | 139 | 60 | 43.2 % | 716,000 | 24.9 % | 3 |
| Eastern | 1,740,000 | 119 | 44 | 37.0 % | 688,000 | 39.5 % | 3 |
| North Central | 1,416,000 | 88 | 35 | 39.8 % | 183,000 | 12.9 % | 2 |
| North Western | 2,662,000 | 111 | 45 | 40.5 % | 436,000 | 16.4 % | 2 |
| Northern | 1,212,000 | 91 | 36 | 39.6 % | 109,000 | 9.0 % | 5 |
| Sabaragamuwa | 2,163,000 | 130 | 56 | 43.1 % | 305,000 | 14.1 % | 2 |
| Southern | 2,778,000 | 120 | 44 | 36.7 % | 111,000 | 4.0 % | 3 |
| Uva | 1,427,000 | 126 | 52 | 41.3 % | 236,000 | 16.5 % | 2 |
| Western | 6,779,000 | 138 | 55 | 39.9 % | 907,000 | 13.4 % | 3 |
| Country: | 23,025,000 | 149 | 65 | 43.6 % | 3,670,000 | 15.9 % | 25 |
| Language ▲ | Code | # Peoples w/ this Primary Language |
# Unreached w/ this Primary Language |
Scripture Status |
YouVersion Bible Resources |
Faith Comes By Hearing Bible Resources |
Jesus Film Online |
Global Recordings Resources |
God's Story Resources |
Gospel Tract Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic, Mesopotamian | acm | 1 | 1 | 4 New Testament | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | -1 |
| Gujarati | guj | 2 | 2 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hindi | hin | 1 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Japanese | jpn | 1 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Javanese | jav | 1 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| Konkani | knn | 1 | 0 | 5 Complete Bible | -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| Language Unknown | xxx | 1 | 0 | Unspecified | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Malayalam | mal | 2 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Maldivian | div | 1 | 1 | 3 Bible Portions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| Morisyen | mfe | 1 | 0 | 4 New Testament | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | -1 |
| Punjabi, Eastern | pan | 1 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| Punjabi, Western | pnb | 2 | 2 | 4 New Testament | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| Sindhi | snd | 1 | 1 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | -1 |
| Sinhala | sin | 45 | 16 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lankan Malay Creole | sci | 1 | 1 | 2 Translation Started | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Sri Lankan Sign Language | sqs | 1 | 1 | 3 Bible Portions | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Tamil | tam | 81 | 30 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Telugu | tel | 3 | 3 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Urdu | urd | 2 | 2 | 5 Complete Bible | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals: | 19 | 149 | 65 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 10 |
- MissionNext - connect with mission agencies or schools worldwide
- The Mission App - connecting you to mission agencies that match your calling
- Linking Global Voices - networks and global collaboration for followers of Christ
- visionSynergy - developing high impact missional networks
- GetInvolved - frontier people group (FPGs) prayer communities
There are many agencies and churches looking for additional staff to help them in their mission and calling in Sri Lanka. Internet searches may be a possible way to find these organizations. The following are some example search topics you might try:
- Church planting agencies in Sri Lanka
- Christian ministry in Sri Lanka
- Business as mission
- Christian literature distribution
- Evangelism agencies
- Christian discipleship
- Short term Christian missions
- Long term Christian missions
- Urban ministries
- Christian media opportunities
- Bible translation opportunities
- Relief and development agencies
- Clean water projects
- Christian medical outreaches
| People Groups | 149 |
| Unreached People Groups | 65 (43.6%) |
| Population | 23,025,000 |
| Population Annual Growth Rate | 0.5% |
| Population in Unreached | 3,670,000 (15.9%) |
| Primary Religion | Buddhism |
| Percent Christian Adherent | 7.6% |
| Percent Evangelical | Unknown |
| Pioneer Workers Needed * | 116 |
| Country Progress Level | |
| Continent | Asia |
| Region | Asia, South |
| 10/40 Window | Yes |
| Country Code | CE |
| Official Language(s) | Sinhala | English |
| Literacy Rate | 95% |
| Estimated Illiterate Population | 1,151,000 |
| Persecution Ranking | Not ranked |
 All Unreached |
|
 English |
|
| Political Map (UN) |
| Language Map (Ethnologue) |
| Perry-Castaneda Map Collection |
| Sri Lanka Prayercast Video |
