Turkmen of Turkmenistan (PGID: PG024639)

The Turkmen of Turkmenistan

The Turkmen of Turkmenistan, numbering approximately 5,360,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern Iran, and northwestern Afghanistan. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Turkmen is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Turkic Peoples
Country: Turkmenistan
People Cluster: Turkmen
Primary Language(s): Turkmen (tuk)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 5,360,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
People Group ID: PG024639
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Pray for the Turkmen of Turkmenistan

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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

90%

Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Turkmen
Language Family: Turkic

85%

Turkmen Speakers

Media Resources in Turkmen:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film

3 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Turkmen:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
2016 Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow	✓	✓	✓
2016 Turkmen Truth	✓	✓	✓

2 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Turkmen bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Turkmen 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 Turkmen:

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 Turkmen of Turkmenistan

While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Luke 9:42

Pray that those who are living outside of the hope of the gospel will know and trust that Jesus offers freedom from the oppression of sin and hope in eternal life.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

Pray that the gospel will advance and that many will have the opportunity to taste and see the goodness of God and entrust their lives to Him.

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be alert and persistent in prayer for all believers, offering their requests with thanksgiving.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
Psalm 34:3

Pray that God will raise up believers who will go to those in this people group who do not yet follow Jesus, and that they will invite many to magnify the Lord with them so that His fame will spread to the ends of the earth.

Turkmen Across Countries (ROP3 - 110306) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

9 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index ▲	Language	Religion
PG024320	Turkmen	Uzbekistan	227,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG024372	Turkmen	Kyrgyzstan	2,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG047222	Turkmen	United States	200	Unengaged and Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG006410	Turkmen	Pakistan	15,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG024023	Turkmen	Afghanistan	2,105,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG024533	Turkmen	Tajikistan	15,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG024598	Turkmen	Turkiye	800,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkish	Folk Islam
PG024639	Turkmen	Turkmenistan	5,360,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni Islam
PG042249	Turkmen	Iran	2,785,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Turkmen	Sunni 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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