The Salasaca Highland Quichua of Ecuador

The Salasaca Highland Quichua of Ecuador, numbering approximately 21,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an indigenous Kichwa people of Ecuador's central Andes, centered in Salasaka in Tungurahua Province, known for a distinct Kichwa variety and a strong tradition of handwoven textiles. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Salasaca Highland Quichua is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Quichua, Salasaca Highland

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Ecuador
People Cluster: Quechua
Primary Language(s): Salasaca Highland Quichua (qxl)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 21,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG017475
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Pray for the Salasaca Highland Quichua of Ecuador

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Salasaca Highland Quichua
Language Family: Quechuan

90%
%
Quichua, Salasaca Highland Speakers

Media Resources in Salasaca Highland Quichua:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Salasaca Highland Quichua:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc✓

1 entry

Or check out the Salasaca Highland Quichua bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Salasaca Highland Quichua 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 Salasaca Highland Quichua:
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 Salasaca Highland Quichua of Ecuador

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
readMatthew 5:16

Pray that those who are deceived about what brings peace will not settle for any lies they’ve heard about God and will diligently seek Him and be satisfied when they learn the truth about who He is and what He’s done.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
readPsalm 25:5

Pray that the gospel will advance and that God will lead people in His truth, bringing many to salvation.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
readPsalm 37:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will delight themselves in the Lord, trusting Him to give them the desires of their hearts.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
readMatthew 9:37-38

Pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up believers to send out into His harvest field, which is ripe and ready.

Quichua, Salasaca Highland Across Countries (ROP3 - 108546) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

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