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PEOPLE GROUP PROFILE

The Santal (Magahi) of India

The Santal (Magahi) of India, numbering approximately 547,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are one of the largest Indigenous tribal (Adivasi) peoples of India. Santal identity is centered on village life, agriculture, clan organization, nature-based religious traditions, rich musical and dance heritage, and a strong sense of ethnic distinctiveness. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Magahi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Santal (Magahi)

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: Munda-Santal
Primary Language(s): Magahi (mag)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 547,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG046150

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Pray for the Santal (Magahi) of India

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: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

97%
%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Magahi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Magahi Speakers

Media Resources in Magahi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Magahi:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2014 Asian Sahyogi Sanstha India Gorakhpur, (U.P.)✓✓

1 entry

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Magahi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Santal (Magahi) 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 Santal (Magahi):
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 Santal (Magahi) of India

The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.
readPsalm 6:9

Pray that lost people will hear the gospel and place their faith in Christ, knowing that He hears their plea and accepts their prayer.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
readActs 17:24-25

Pray that the good news will reach everyone in this people group and that many will come to know and serve the one true God who made the world and everything in it and lives today.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
read1 Peter 2:9

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will embrace their identity as God's chosen people, royal priests, and holy nation, living out their faith with purity and devotion.

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
readMark 5:20

Pray that God will bring people who appear beyond hope to faith in Jesus and that they will then go and tell others of the marvelous things He has done.

Santal (Magahi) Across Countries (ROP3 - 118984) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulationStrategic Progress IndexLanguage ▼Religion
Santal (Magahi)PG046150Santal (Magahi)India547,000No Longer UnreachedMagahiHinduism

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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