The Apatani of India

The Apatani of India, numbering approximately 41,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a tribal community of Apatani speakers in the Apatani valley of Lower Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh. The Apatani practice wet-rice cultivation and profess the Donyi-Polo religion. They mostly adhere to Animism and Apatani is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: South Asian Tribal
Primary Language(s): Apatani (apt)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 41,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG042047
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Apatani of India

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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

95%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Apatani
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

74%
%
Apatani Speakers

Media Resources in Apatani:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Apatani:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Apatani bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Apatani 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 Apatani:
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 Apatani of India

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
readTitus 3:3

Pray for those who seek worldly pleasures instead of God to flee from sin and choose God’s goodness and lovingkindness by placing their faith in Jesus.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
readPsalm 34:4

Pray for each who becomes a child of God to share the hope of eternity with family and friends.

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.

There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
readMark 7:15

Pray for Christians to take any opportunity to share the hope of Jesus with lost people here, praying they will be wise like Jesus as they share the truth about what can defile people and what can make them clean.

Tanu Across Countries (ROP3 - 111338) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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