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Who & Where

The Least-Reached

We serve among the least-reached: those without access to a church that proclaims the gospel in their language and worships in a way that’s relevant in their culture.

God creates access to least-reached communities by opening opportunities in the places where they live and by sovereignly moving people to locations where they can be introduced to the good news of Christ. We respond by using our gifts and skills to cultivate Christ-honoring transformation among Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, refugees and the Deaf in regions around the globe.

4 in 10

4 in 10

More than four in 10 people worldwide don’t have access to a church that preaches the gospel in their language and worships in a culturally relevant way

Over 2,000

Over 2,000

Over 2,000 languages lack a single verse of Scripture

7,000+

7,000+

Over 7,000 people groups are least-reached

2nd Largest Group

2nd Largest Group

Hindus are the second-largest least-reached religious group, numbering over 1.1 billion worldwide

1 in 10

1 in 10

Fewer than one in 10 Hindus has access to a church that proclaims the gospel in their language and worships using their cultural forms

Over 2,700

Over 2,700

Over 2,700 people groups are predominantly Hindu. Nearly 2,500 are least-reached

670 People Groups

670 People Groups

More than 670 people groups are primarily Buddhist

500 Million+

500 Million+

Over half a Billion Buddhists still live without the hope of Christ

1 in 4

1 in 4

Fewer than one in four Buddhist people groups is reached with the gospel

1.9 Billion

1.9 Billion

More than 1.9 billion people are followers of Islam. It is the fastest-growing religion in the world

1 in 4

1 in 4

Nearly one in four people worldwide is a Muslim

3,700 Muslim Groups

3,700 Muslim Groups

Among the over 3,700 Muslim people groups worldwide, more than 3,100 are least-reached

70 Million

70 Million

Over 70 million people worldwide have been forced from their homes

Over half are under 18

Over half are under 18

Over half of refugees are under age 18

Nearly 1 in Every 100

Nearly 1 in Every 100

Nearly one in every 100 people worldwide is a refugee or internally displaced

Every 2 Seconds

Every 2 Seconds

Every two seconds, nearly one person is forcibly displaced as a result of conflict or persecution—almost 30 every hour.

Only 2%

Only 2%

Just 2% of the Deaf worldwide have been introduced to the gospel

70 Million

70 Million

Approximately 70 million people worldwide use a sign language as their primary language

At least 95%

At least 95%

At least 95% of sign languages worldwide have no Bible translation.

95% plus

95% plus

More than 95% of the population of South Asia is least-reached.

Buddhists

Over a half billion Buddhists in more than 670 people groups worldwide need to know the transforming power of the gospel of Christ. Yet, nearly four in five of them are least-reached: They don’t have access to a church that preaches the gospel and worships in a culturally relevant way.

Hindus

“Hindu.” The word brings a myriad of images to mind: sages meditating in Himalayan mountain retreats, sacred cows lying in crowded streets, devotees bathing in the Ganges River, women with red dots on their foreheads wearing brightly colored saris. From the urban intellectuals of New Delhi, to the slum dwellers of Kolkata, to the business professionals living in Europe and North America, more than a billion Hindus—more than 15% of the world’s population—need the hope of Christ.

Muslims

More than 1.9 billion people are Muslims, making them the largest least-reached religious bloc in the world and Islam the fastest-growing religion. Over 3,700 people groups are primarily Muslim; the majority of them have no culturally-relevant gospel witness.

Refugees

Over 70 million people worldwide has been forcibly displaced.1 Many of these refugees, internally displaced people and asylum-seekers have never heard the gospel. For example, refugees from Iran come from a land where over 99 percent of the population has no access to a church that preaches the gospel in their language and culture.

The Deaf

Approximately 70 million people worldwide use a sign language as their primary language.* Just one in 50 have been introduced to the gospel. Many live in places that are mostly or completely untouched by the gospel, and because they are often separated from the larger Hearing society around them, they have even fewer opportunities to learn of the good news.