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The Lao of Laos

The Lao of Laos, numbering approximately 3,980,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tai-speaking ethnic group native to mainland Southeast Asia and form the dominant ethnic population of Laos. They mostly adhere to Theravada Buddhism and Lao is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Lao

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Southeast Asian Peoples
Country: Laos
People Cluster: Lao
Primary Language(s): Lao (lao)
Primary Religion(s): Theravada Buddhism
Population: 3,980,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG009139
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Pray for the Lao of Laos

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: Theravada Buddhism
Religious Affiliation: Buddhism

93%
%
Theravada Buddhism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Lao
Language Family: Tai-Kadai

100%
%
Lao Speakers

Media Resources in Lao:

Films:
Title Link
JESUS View Film
Magdalena View Film

2 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Lao:

Bible Name (Translation) Video Audio Text
Revised Lao Version ✓ ✓

1 entry

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Lao bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Lao 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 Lao:
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 Lao of Laos

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
readMark 10:15

Pray for those who might be trapped in pride, that God will humble them and give them a childlike faith and complete dependence on Him through faith in Christ.

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
readLuke 13:3

Pray that the lost will repent and believe the gospel, for without it, they will perish.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
readPsalm 127:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will build their homes in the Lord and raise their children to know and honor Him.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
read2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Pray that as people hear and believe the gospel, they will be faithful as they walk through trials and will have an opportunity to be a witness to others in this people group of the goodness of God.

Lao Across Countries (ROP3 - 105643) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

8 people groups

Photo People Group ID Name Country Population ▲ Strategic Progress Index Language Religion
Lao PG017347 Lao Argentina 2,300 Unengaged and Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG043429 Lao Canada 17,000 Engaged yet Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG000172 Lao France 19,500 Engaged yet Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG009467 Lao Myanmar 26,000 No Longer Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG020442 Lao Cambodia 41,000 Engaged yet Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG011173 Lao Vietnam 206,000 Unengaged and Unreached Lao Ethnoreligion
Lao PG046485 Lao United States 236,000 Engaged yet Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism
Lao PG009139 Lao Laos 3,980,000 Engaged yet Unreached Lao Theravada Buddhism

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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