The Atayal of Taiwan

The Atayal of Taiwan, numbering approximately 93,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are the second-largest indigenous people of Taiwan, traditionally marking male headhunting prowess and female weaving skill with facial tattoos, a practice suppressed under Japanese colonial rule. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Atayal is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: East Asian Peoples
Country: Taiwan
People Cluster: Taiwan Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Atayal (tay)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 93,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG007541
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Atayal of Taiwan

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.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

32%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Atayal
Language Family: Austronesian

87%
%
Atayal Speakers

Media Resources in Atayal:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Atayal:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Atayal bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Atayal are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Atayal:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Atayal of Taiwan

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
readProverbs 4:19

Pray that lost people will accept salvation through Christ, turn from destruction, and experience joy in the way of righteousness.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
readRomans 5:10

Pray that God will remove obstacles to the gospel so that many will see the hope He offers through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, and be transformed from being enemies to being His friends.

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
readPsalm 105:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and may feel weak in their current circumstances, they will seek the Lord's presence and persevere in the Lord's strength.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
readPsalm 23:6

Ask God to raise up believers who will share the hope that, for those who trust in Christ, goodness and love will follow them all the days of their lives, and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Atayal Across Countries (ROP3 - 109910) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

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