The Indo-Caribbean of Suriname

The Indo-Caribbean of Suriname, numbering approximately 134,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnic group indigenous to the Caribbean who descended from Indian indentured laborers brought by the British, Dutch, and French during the colonial era. They are an Indigenous people, in the Indo-Caribbean people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples affinity bloc. Their primary religion is Hinduism. They primarily speak Hindustani, Sarnami.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: East Indian (Hindu)

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Suriname
People Cluster: Indo-Caribbean
Primary Language(s): Hindustani, Sarnami (hns)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 134,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG022266
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Indo-Caribbean of Suriname

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

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Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Hindustani, Sarnami
Language Family: Indo-European

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Media Resources in Hindustani, Sarnami:

Films:

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Bible Resources in Hindustani, Sarnami:

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Or check out the Hindustani, Sarnami bible resources at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

Next steps for the Indo-Caribbean

The Indo-Caribbean are Unengaged and Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations among which there are no known efforts focused on establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Begin signifcant prayer and fasting for this group
Send cross-cultural teams to discover and research this people group
Begin gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Next steps for the Indo-Caribbean

The Indo-Caribbean 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.

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

Next steps for the Indo-Caribbean

The Indo-Caribbean 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.

Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Indo-Caribbean of Suriname

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.
readMatthew 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.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
readIsaiah 1:18

Pray that God will make a way for the gospel to reach many through means they can understand and access, that they will receive the good news with joy, and that they will experience complete forgiveness and cleansing from their sin that Jesus offers through His sacrifice.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
readPsalm 119:9

Pray that as young men place their faith in Jesus, they will walk in purity and live according to God's Word.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
readPsalm 67:1-2

Pray that as God blesses believers from among this people group or from nearby cultures, He will raise them up to share His saving power among the nations.

Indo-Caribbean (ROP3 - 108730) reported in the following countries:

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 Definitions page.

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