Download the People Group List (16 languages .csv)

Amharic - አማርኛ | Arabic - عربي
Bengali - বাংলা | Chinese (Simplified) - 中文（简体）
Chinese (Traditional) - 中文（繁體) | French - Français
German - Deutsch | Gujarati - ગુજરાતી
Hindi - हिन्दी | Indonesian - Bahasa Indonesia
Korean - 한국어 | Nepali - नेपाली
Portugese - Português | Russian - Русский
Spanish - Espanol | Tagalong / Filipino
Be sure to use the data import function in your favorite app for working with data.
If you'd like to help improve these translations, Contact Us.

PEOPLE GROUP PROFILE

The Iraqi Arabs of Canada

The Iraqi Arabs of Canada, numbering approximately 85,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as 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 are an Diaspora people, with Arab, Iraqi as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Arab, Levant people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam. They primarily speak Arabic, Mesopotamian.

Photo courtesy of Joshua Project. Photo Source: Christiaan Briggs - Wikimedia Christiaan Briggs - Wikimedia Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Fast Facts*:

Affinity Group: Arab Peoples
Country: Canada
People Cluster: Arab, Levant
Primary Language(s): Arabic, Mesopotamian (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!
Download Prayer Guide

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Shia Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

95%
%
Shia Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Arabic, Mesopotamian
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Arabic, Mesopotamian Speakers

Media Resources in Arabic, Mesopotamian:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Arabic, Mesopotamian:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Arabic, Mesopotamian 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

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
readPsalm 18:31

As people look to their own efforts for hope, pray they will have the opportunity to learn and believe in the Lord, who is the only Rock worthy of their faith.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
readActs 13:48-49

Pray that the gospel will spread throughout this whole region and that many will believe and embrace the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.
readExodus 4:12

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, God will equip them with the words and wisdom to proclaim His message effectively.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
readEphesians 6:12

Ask God to give those He sends to cross cultures the discernment they need to recognize the spiritual battle they are fighting. Pray God will protect their faith as they abide in Him.

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

Strategic Progress Index
All

17 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
Iraqi Shia ArabsPG046790Iraqi Shia ArabsIraq19,630,000Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianShia Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG011777Iraqi ArabsJordan1,590,000Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, LevantineSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG050210Iraqi ArabsSweden181,000Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
IraqisPG042436IraqisGermany178,000Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG046490Iraqi ArabsUnited States155,000Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianShia Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG047414Iraqi ArabsCanada85,500Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianShia Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG050028Iraqi ArabsNetherlands63,500Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, LevantineSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG012188Iraqi ArabsSyria60,000Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianShia Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG042882Iraqi ArabsUnited Arab Emirates58,500Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG011816Iraqi ArabsLebanon25,500Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, StandardSunni Islam
IraqisPG042374IraqisBelgium22,000Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
IraqisPG049968IraqisGreece17,000Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG011798Iraqi ArabsKuwait14,500Engaged yet UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG042889Iraqi ArabsYemen10,500Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG011264Iraqi ArabsAlgeria8,700Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, StandardSunni Islam
Iraqi ArabsPG011667Iraqi ArabsFrance6,800Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni Islam
IraqisPG042328IraqisItaly4,300Unengaged and UnreachedArabic, MesopotamianSunni 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.

Scroll to Top