Western Sahara people groups, languages and religions

Country: Western Sahara

People Groups Unreached

10 (100.0%)

People Groups Unreached Frontier

9 (90.0%)

Population
Total

531,000

Population in Unreached

531,000 (100.0%)

Population in Unreached Frontier

523,000 (98.5%)

The Joshua Project Progress Scale is an estimate of the progress of church planting among a people group, people cluster, country or language. The Progress Scale is derived from people group values for percent Evangelical and percent Christian Adherent.

Level	Description	Criteria
0.3	Unreached Frontier - Less than 1 in 1,000 (0.1%) identify as Christians in any way	Evangelicals <=0.1% Professing Christians <=0.1%
0.7	Unreached not Frontier - Few evangelicals and little, if any, history of Christianity.	Evangelicals >0.1% and <=2% Professing Christians >.1% and <=5%
1	Unreached (All) - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. Little, if any, history of Christianity.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians <= 5%
2	Minimally reached - Few evangelicals, but significant number who identify as Christians.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 5% and <= 50%
3	Superficially reached - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 50%
4	Partially reached - Evangelicals have a modest presence.	Evangelicals > 2% and <= 10%
5	Significantly reached - Evangelicals have a significant presence.	Evangelicals > 10%

Map Notes

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Progress Scale: ☀︎●●●●● (
☀︎
= Frontier Unreached Peoples)
People Group	Population this Ctry	Population Global	Count Ctrys	Indigenous	Primary Language	Primary Religion	Progress Scale	% Christian Adherent	% Evangelical	Needed Workers
Arab, Moroccan	8,600	31,092,000	22		Arabic, Moroccan	Islam	1 ●	0.18 %	0.03 %	1
Bedouin, Arosien	7,700	7,700	1	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Berber, Izarguien	36,000	55,000	2	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Berber, Tekna	119,000	139,000	2		Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.04 %	0.00 %	2
Deaf	6,000	51,182,000	216	●	Language unknown	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Imragen	24,000	24,000	1	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Moor, general	53,000	279,000	9	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Regeibat	77,000	117,000	2	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	2
Sahrawi	195,000	484,000	5	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.04 %	0.00 %	4
Tajakant	5,900	59,000	2	●	Hassaniyya	Islam	0 ☀︎	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Totals: 10	531,000						9 ☀︎ 10 ●	0.03 %	0.00 %	15
Unclassified / Other Individuals	70,000
UN Country Population (2025)	601,000

Other minor groups: 2

Western Sahara

Very small groups reported, but outside the Joshua Project Small Group Policy. Some may not be viable and/or have incorrect Progress Scale values, population, language and religion information. The groups listed below are not included in overall Joshua Project people group counts. If you have information about these groups, please contact us.

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People Group ▲	Progress Scale	Population	Primary Language	Primary Religion
French	2 ●	-1 Unknown	French	Christianity
Spaniard	2 ●	500	Spanish	Christianity
Totals: 2

For more information see the Joshua Project Small Group Policy

* An estimate of the number of pioneer workers needed for initial church planting among unreached people groups by country. Estimates are calculated only for unreached people groups and are based on ratio of 1 worker-unit (single person or married couple) per 50,000 living in an unreached people group by country, or for example one team of four worker-units per 200,000 people. Some workers may already be onsite. Many more workers are needed beyond this initial estimate.

Download Sources Definitions

Prayer Cards

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Province ▲	Estimated Population
Boujdour	52,000
Es Semara	64,000
Laayoune	245,000
Oued el Dahab	161,000
Provinces: 4	522,000
UN Country Population	601,000

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
Language ▲	Code	# Peoples w/ this Primary Language	# Unreached w/ this Primary Language	Scripture Status	YouVersion Bible Resources	Faith Comes By Hearing Bible Resources	Jesus Film Online	Global Recordings Resources	God's Story Resources	Gospel Tract Online
Arabic, Moroccan	ary	1	1	4 New Testament	1	1	1	1	1	-1
Hassaniyya	mey	8	8	4 New Testament	1	1	1	1	-1	-1
Unknown	xxx	1	1	Unspecified	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1
Totals:	3	10	10		2	2	2	2	1	0

Networking Possibilities

MissionNext - connect with mission agencies or schools worldwide
The Mission App - connecting you to mission agencies that match your calling
Linking Global Voices - networks and global collaboration for followers of Christ
visionSynergy - developing high impact missional networks
GetInvolved - frontier people group (FPGs) prayer communities

Search the Web
There are many agencies and churches looking for additional staff to help them in their mission and calling in Western Sahara. Internet searches are probably the best way to find these organizations. The following are some example search topics you might try:

Church planting agencies in Western Sahara
Christian ministry in Western Sahara
Business as mission
Christian literature distribution
Evangelism agencies
Christian discipleship
Short term Christian missions

Long term Christian missions
Urban ministries
Christian media opportunities
Bible translation opportunities
Relief and development agencies
Clean water projects
Christian medical outreaches

Western Sahara Statistics
People Groups	10
Unreached People Groups	10 (100.0%)
Population	531,000
Population Annual Growth Rate	2.1%
Population in Unreached	531,000 (100.0%)
Primary Religion	Islam
Percent Christian Adherent	0.0%
Percent Evangelical	0.0%
Pioneer Workers Needed *	15
Country Progress Level	1 ●
Continent	Africa
Region	Africa, North and Middle East
10/40 Window	Yes
Country Code	WI
Official Language(s)	Arabic, Moroccan \| Hassaniyya
Literacy Rate	%
Estimated Illiterate Population	531,000
Persecution Ranking	Not ranked

Western Sahara Maps
Political Map (UN)
Language Map (Ethnologue)
Perry-Castaneda Map Collection

Western Sahara Prayer Cards
All Unreached

Western Sahara Prayer Guide
English

Western Sahara Links
Operation World
Stratus Earth Index
DataReportal Digital Analysis
Prosperity Index
Social Progress Index
World Factbook
UN Human Development Report
Ethnologue Language Listing

Western Sahara Videos
More great prayer resources at Prayercast

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