Amhara of Ethiopia (PGID: PG011540)

The Amhara of Ethiopia

The Amhara of Ethiopia, numbering approximately 36,230,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a major Semitic‑speaking ethnic group indigenous to the north‑central Ethiopian highlands. Speakers of Amharic—Ethiopia’s principal working language—they have historically been central to the Ethiopian state and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. They mostly adhere to Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity and Amharic is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Horn of Africa Peoples
Country: Ethiopia
People Cluster: Ethio-Semitic
Primary Language(s): Amharic (amh)
Primary Religion(s): Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
Population: 36,230,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG011540
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Pray for the Amhara of Ethiopia

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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

83%

Tewahedo Orthodox Christi… Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Amharic
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%

Amharic Speakers

Media Resources in Amharic:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film
The Savior	View Film

3 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Amharic:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
1962 Bible Society of Ethiopia			✓
1988 Common Version		✓
New Amharic Standard Version (NASV)	✓
Orthodox-Septuagint Deuterocanonical Version			✓

4 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Amharic bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Amhara 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 Amhara:

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 Amhara of Ethiopia

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:7-8

Pray that those who don't have a relationship with their Creator will come to know a God who hears their every need, freeing them from empty rituals and drawing them into a real, trusting relationship with Him.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans 2:4

Pray that, in God's kindness and according to His nature, He will lead many to repentance.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.
Hebrews 10:26

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will live with reverence for God and not deliberately keep sinning after they receive the knowledge of the truth.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
Psalm 9:18

Pray that God will raise up believers who can help meet emotional and physical needs among this people group. Ask Him to open doors for them and give them the courage to walk into difficult situations and share the hope of the gospel boldly.

Amhara Across Countries (ROP3 - 100293) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

6 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population ▼	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion
PG011540	Amhara	Ethiopia	36,230,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
PG046497	Amhara	United States	189,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
PG042397	Amhara	Germany	23,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
PG047403	Amhara	Canada	14,000	No Longer Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
PG011488	Amhara	Egypt	4,100	Unengaged and Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
PG011482	Amhara	Djibouti	550	Engaged yet Unreached	Amharic	Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity

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

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