Iraqi Arabs of Canada (PGID: PG047414)

PEOPLE GROUP PROFILE

The Iraqi Arabs of Canada

The Iraqi Arabs of Canada, numbering approximately 85,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Arabic-speaking people of Iraq descended from Arab and indigenous Mesopotamian populations, distinguished by their Mesopotamian Arabic language and the cultural traditions of historic Mesopotamia. They mostly adhere to Shia Islam and Mesopotamian Arabic is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Arab, Iraqi

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Arab Peoples
Country: Canada
People Cluster: Arab, Levant
Primary Language(s): Mesopotamian Arabic (acm)
Primary Religion(s): Shia Islam
Population: 85,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG047414
View on Joshua Project

Print Profile

Submit Updates

Pray for the Iraqi Arabs of Canada

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Pray Now!

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Shia Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

95%

Shia Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Mesopotamian Arabic
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%

Arabic, Mesopotamian Speakers

Media Resources in Mesopotamian Arabic:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Mesopotamian Arabic:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Mesopotamian Arabic bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Iraqi Arabs are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Iraqi Arabs:

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

Pray specifically for the Iraqi Arabs of Canada

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
John 11:25

Pray for the many who have never heard about or understood the importance of what Jesus did for them, asking God to make a way for them to hear that the perfect Son of Man suffered, died, and rose again so that they might be saved.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

Pray that they will receive the Word of God as a lamp to their feet and commit their ways to Him.

But Jesus called them to him, saying "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:16

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have a burden to share the hope of Christ with children.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

Ask God to bring people among this group to faith in Jesus who will be obedient to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded.

Arab, Iraqi Across Countries (ROP3 - 104056) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

17 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population ▼	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion
PG046790	Iraqi Shia Arabs	Iraq	19,740,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Shia Islam
PG011777	Iraqi Arabs	Jordan	1,600,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Levantine Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG050210	Iraqi Arabs	Sweden	182,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG042436	Iraqi Arabs	Germany	178,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG046490	Iraqi Arabs	United States	156,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Shia Islam
PG047414	Iraqi Arabs	Canada	85,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Shia Islam
PG050028	Iraqi Arabs	Netherlands	63,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Levantine Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG012188	Iraqi Arabs	Syria	60,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Shia Islam
PG042882	Iraqi Arabs	United Arab Emirates	59,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG011816	Iraqi Arabs	Lebanon	25,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Standard Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG042374	Iraqi Arabs	Belgium	22,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG049968	Iraqi Arabs	Greece	17,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG011798	Iraqi Arabs	Kuwait	14,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG042889	Iraqi Arabs	Yemen	10,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG011264	Iraqi Arabs	Algeria	8,700	Unengaged and Unreached	Standard Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG011667	Iraqi Arabs	France	6,800	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam
PG042328	Iraqi Arabs	Italy	4,300	Unengaged and Unreached	Mesopotamian Arabic	Sunni Islam

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

People Groups of the World

Countries of the World

Languages of the World

Religions of the World

Advanced Dashboard

What are People Groups?

Using Peoplegroups.org

People Group Research

Definitions and FAQs

About Us

Maps

Research Data

Resource Links