The Highland Totonac of Mexico

The Highland Totonac of Mexico, numbering approximately 227,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are associated with El Tajin's Pyramid of the Niches, a 7th-to-12th-century ceremonial center, a people of Mexico's Veracruz and Puebla highlands known for the Danza de los Voladores, an ancient pole-flying ritual now recognized by UNESCO. They mostly adhere to Folk Catholicism and Highland Totonac is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Totonac, Highland

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Mexico
People Cluster: Central American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Highland Totonac (tos)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Catholicism
Population: 227,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG039251
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Highland Totonac of Mexico

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: Folk Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

78%
%
Folk Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Highland Totonac
Language Family: Totonacan

87%
%
Totonac, Highland Speakers

Media Resources in Highland Totonac:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Highland Totonac:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
1999 Bible League International✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Highland Totonac bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Highland Totonac 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.

Next steps for the Highland Totonac:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Highland Totonac of Mexico

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.

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 the lost will seek God and learn that they have a heavenly Father who loves them and wants them to live eternally with Him.

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.
readPsalm 105:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice as they remember His wonders, miracles, and perfect judgements.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
readJames 5:16

Pray that believers whom God sends will confess their sins, pray for one another, and live in unity. Ask that they will model healthy Christian relationships for this people group.

Totonac, Highland Across Countries (ROP3 - 103774) 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.

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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