The Indo-Caribbean of Suriname

The Indo-Caribbean of Suriname, numbering approximately 133,000 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 South Asian Peoples affinity bloc. Their primary religion is Hinduism. They primarily speak Hindustani, Sarnami.

Indo-Caribbean in Suriname photo
Photo courtesy of Joshua Project. Photo Source: Copyrighted ©️ 2025 A Katz - Shutterstock Used with permission

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Suriname
People Cluster: Indo-Caribbean
Primary Language(s): Hindustani, Sarnami (hns)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 133,000
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

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: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

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

%
Hindustani, Sarnami Speakers

Media Resources in Hindustani, Sarnami:

Films:

Bible Resources in Hindustani, Sarnami:

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

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
readRomans 10:14

Pray that those who haven't heard will hear the Word of Christ and believe in Him, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
readPsalm 146:9

Pray for God to watch over people, wherever they are, and cause them to meet believers who will share the gospel with them clearly and lovingly.

And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."
readMatthew 16:17

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will abide in Him and have assurance that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
readJohn 3:16

Pray that God will send and sustain believers to cross cultures and share the gospel with the lost. Ask that He will give them His heart for the lost and that many will believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life.

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

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

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