The Kangean of Indonesia

The Kangean of Indonesia, numbering approximately 122,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Austronesian people native to the Kangean Islands of East Java whose Kangean language is closely related to Madurese and has western, central and eastern varieties. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Madurese is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Indonesia
People Cluster: Madura of Java
Primary Language(s): Madurese (mad)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 122,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
People Group ID: PG022433
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kangean of Indonesia

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: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

99%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Madurese
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Madura Speakers

Media Resources in Madurese:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
JESUSView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Madurese:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Today's Madura Version, 1994✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Madurese bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kangean 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 Kangean:
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 Kangean of Indonesia

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
readPsalm 96:5

Pray that those who are seeking after worthless idols will not be satisfied until they seek the truth and find it in Christ.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
readRomans 3:23

Pray that the gospel will advance and many will acknowledge that all have sinned, fall short of God's glory, and need a Savior to reconcile them to God.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
readPsalm 121:1-2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and experience hardship, God will remind them that their help comes from the One who made heaven and earth and that He is powerful to meet their needs.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
readPsalm 96:10

Pray for God to put in the hearts of believers to go to the lost and testify about the Lord who reigns.

Kangean Across Countries (ROP3 - 114384) 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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