The Yucatec of Belize

The Yucatec of Belize, numbering approximately 5,700 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. They mostly adhere to Folk Catholicism and Yucateco is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Belize
People Cluster: Maya
Primary Language(s): Yucateco (yua)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Catholicism
Population: 5,700
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG016209
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Yucatec of Belize

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: Folk Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

81%
%
Folk Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Yucateco
Language Family: Mayan

100%
%
Maya, Yucatec Speakers

Media Resources in Yucateco:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Yucateco:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
1992 Bible Society of Mexico✓

1 entry

Or check out the Yucateco bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Yucatec 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 Yucatec:
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 Yucatec of Belize

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
readRomans 8:1

Pray that God will reassure those who may be struggling with the cost of following Jesus that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
readZechariah 2:11

Pray that many will take refuge in the Lord and be His people who share the good news of salvation in Jesus with others.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
readPsalm 62:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be in awe of Jesus, remembering that He is their rock, their fortress, and their salvation.

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.
readRomans 9:16

Ask God to raise up people who will trust in His sovereignty as they share the gospel, knowing that it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.

Maya, Yucatan Across Countries (ROP3 - 111105) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

3 people groups

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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