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The Punjabis of Sri Lanka

The Punjabis of Sri Lanka, numbering approximately 13,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic group characterized by their rich cultural heritage, agricultural prowess, and vibrant traditions, originating from the Punjab region of South Asia, currently divided between Pakistan and India. They mostly adhere to Sikhism and Panjabi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Punjabi

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Sri Lanka
People Cluster: Punjabi
Primary Language(s): Panjabi (pan)
Primary Religion(s): Sikhism
Population: 13,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG006439

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Pray for the Punjabis of Sri Lanka

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!
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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sikhism
Religious Affiliation: Sikhism

50%
%
Sikhism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Panjabi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Punjabi, Eastern Speakers

Media Resources in Panjabi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film
The SaviorView Film

3 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Panjabi:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2000 Bible League International✓
Indian Revised Version✓✓

2 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Panjabi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Punjabis 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 Punjabis:
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 Punjabis of Sri Lanka

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
read1 John 1:9

Pray that God, who is faithful and just, will open the eyes of those who are lost and draw them to confess their sins and trust in Him to grant forgiveness.

...And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
readLuke 24:47

Pray that the message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus will reach everyone.

For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
readPsalm 86:10-11

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will trust in the Lord with all their heart, knowing that He is the one true God and will teach them His ways.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
readRomans 12:4-5

Ask God to send believers to people in other cultures and to help them use their gifts in harmony with others so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Punjabi, Eastern Across Countries (ROP3 - 108182) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

18 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
Eastern PunjabisPG000673Eastern PunjabisUnited Kingdom815,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG043605PunjabisUnited States606,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG012249PunjabisUnited Arab Emirates334,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSunni Islam
PunjabisPG018234PunjabisMalaysia172,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG011888PunjabisOman134,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSunni Islam
Eastern PunjabisPG009504Eastern PunjabisMyanmar78,000Unengaged and UnreachedPanjabiFolk Hinduism
PunjabisPG015024PunjabisTanzania71,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiHinduism
SikhsPG048148SikhsKenya43,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG011805PunjabisKuwait21,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSunni Islam
PunjabisPG006280PunjabisNepal16,500Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiFolk Hinduism
SikhsPG048144SikhsFrance16,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG010717PunjabisSingapore15,000No Longer UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG006439PunjabisSri Lanka13,000Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
SikhsPG010910SikhsThailand11,500Engaged yet UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG000094PunjabisDenmark10,000Unengaged and UnreachedPanjabiSikhism
PunjabisPG008234PunjabisFiji9,600Unengaged and UnreachedPanjabiFolk Hinduism
PunjabisPG024006PunjabisAfghanistan9,000Unengaged and UnreachedPanjabiSunni Islam
Punjabi SikhsPG001198Punjabi SikhsBangladesh80Unengaged and UnreachedPanjabiSikhism

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.

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