Afar of Ethiopia (PGID: PG011536)

The Afar of Ethiopia

The Afar of Ethiopia, numbering approximately 2,280,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Cushitic ethnic group indigenous to the Horn of Africa, living primarily in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. They speak the Afar language, an East Cushitic language within the Afroasiatic family, and are predominantly Sunni Muslim. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Afar is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Horn of Africa Peoples
Country: Ethiopia
People Cluster: Afar-Saho
Primary Language(s): Afar (aar)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 2,280,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
People Group ID: PG011536
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Pray for the Afar of Ethiopia

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

99%

Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Afar
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%

Afar Speakers

Media Resources in Afar:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film

2 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

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Bible Resources in Afar:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Afar bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Afar 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 Afar:

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 Afar of Ethiopia

For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.
Psalm 130:7b

Pray for those who are unaware of God's steadfast love that is offered to them through Jesus Christ to learn the truth and experience His plentiful redemption.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
Acts 17:24-25

Pray that the good news will reach everyone in this people group and that many will come to know and serve the one true God who made the world and everything in it and lives today.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:46-47

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be devoted to the teaching of God's Word, to fellowship with one another, and to prayer.

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
1 Corinthians 9:22

Ask God to raise up believers from around the world to go and share the hope of Jesus with the lost so that they might trust in Him and have the hope of eternal life.

Afar Across Countries (ROP3 - 102419) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

5 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index ▼	Language	Religion
PG011536	Afar	Ethiopia	2,280,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Afar	Sunni Islam
PG011480	Afar	Djibouti	365,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Afar	Sunni Islam
PG047406	Afar	Canada	2,600	Unengaged and Unreached	Afar	Sunni Islam
PG047244	Afar	United States	325	Unengaged and Unreached	Afar	Sunni Islam
PG011517	Afar	Eritrea	359,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Afar	Sunni Islam

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

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