The Kyrgyz of Tajikistan

The Kyrgyz of Tajikistan, numbering approximately 136,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to Central Asia, primarily associated with Kyrgyzstan, but also found in neighboring countries They are an Diaspora people, with Kyrgyz as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Kyrgyz people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Kirghiz is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Kyrgyz

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Turkic Peoples
Country: Tajikistan
People Cluster: Kyrgyz
Primary Language(s): Kirghiz (kir)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 136,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG024509
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kyrgyz of Tajikistan

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

92%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kirghiz
Language Family: Turkic

100%
%
Kyrgyz Speakers

Media Resources in Kirghiz:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Kirghiz:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2005 Bible Society in Kazakhstan✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Kirghiz bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kyrgyz 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 Kyrgyz:
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 Kyrgyz of Tajikistan

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
readJohn 3:18

Pray for those who are living under the burden of their sin to believe in Jesus, the only Son of God, and receive freedom.

If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
readPsalm 139:8

Pray that the lost will recognize God's presence with them wherever they go, put their faith in Christ, and seek to live in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

"...I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
readMatthew 16:18b

Pray that God will build and grow His Church among this people.

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"
readIsaiah 40:9

Pray for God to send and sustain believers to go and herald the good news to the lost here.

Kyrgyz Across Countries (ROP3 - 105550) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

10 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulationStrategic Progress Index ▼LanguageReligion
KyrgyzKyrgyzUzbekistan321,000Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzTurkiye1,800Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzTajikistan136,000Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzKyrgyzstan6,080,000Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzKazakhstan14,500Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizFolk Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzAfghanistan1,300Engaged yet UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzGermany14,000Unengaged and UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzCanada1,100Unengaged and UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzUnited States30,000Unengaged and UnreachedKirghizSunni Islam
KyrgyzKyrgyzChina197,000Unengaged and UnreachedKirghizFolk Islam

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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