Pray for China
Learn about and pray for China in just 5 minutes per week!
Receive one email per week for 13 weeks about China’s history, geography, persecution profile, and largest unreached people groups.
WEEK 1
Prayercast
Pray along with a local believer for their nation.
WEEK 2
Operation World
Pray through Operation World's country profile.
WEEK 3
World Watch List
Pray through the country's persecution profile.
WEEKS 4-13
People Groups
Pray for the country's 10 largest unreached people groups.
Introduction
Since the 1980s, China has rapidly gained strength and influence in the world. Coinciding with this period, China has seen one of the largest movements to Christ in history! China has gone from having very few Christians to now over 100 million!
Many challenges still face the country and the church though as it emerges from COVID lockdowns and Xi Jinping is in his third term.
Government crackdowns on church gatherings are frequent and laws are being passed that further restrict freedoms, especially of Christians and Muslims.
Read on to learn how you can pray for China.
Fast Facts
Capital City: Beijing
Population: 1.4 billion (10% unreached)
People Groups: 545
10/40 Window: Yes
Major People Groups: Han Chinese 92%, Zhuang 1%, other 7.1%
Religion: Buddhist 18%, Christian 5%, Muslim 2%, Ethnic Religion 22%, Non-religious 52%
Language: Standard Chinese or Mandarin
GDP Per Capita: $16,600
Literacy Rate: 97%
Did you know? Chinese cuisine is one of the world’s most diverse and flavorful, with regional specialties like Sichuanese spicy hotpot, Cantonese dim sum, and Beijing roast duck.
Pray for the unreached people groups of China
After having very few Christians in the 1950s and 1960s, it is now estimated that 7.5% of Chinese people are Evangelical Christian! That’s 105 million people!
But China still has the third most unreached people groups in the world, behind India and Pakistan. Below are the 10 largest unreached people groups in China:
| People Group | Religion | Population |
| Xiang | 35,652,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Hui | 13,740,000 | Islam |
| Uyghur | 11,770,000 | Islam |
| Tujia | 9,699,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Mongolian | 5,583,000 | Buddhism |
| Bouyei | 3,295,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Zhuang, Yongbei | 2,175,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Northern Hmu | 2,095,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Zhuang, Yongnan | 2,050,000 | Ethnic Religions |
| Kazakh | 1,863,000 | Islam |
What are the largest religions in China?
45% of Chinese identify as non-religious, 32% follow ethnic religions, 13% identify as Buddhist, and 9% identify as Christian.
What is the largest unreached people group in China?
The largest unreached people group in China is the Xiang with over 35 million people.
How many unreached people groups are in China?
China has 441 unreached people groups - 378 follow ethnic religions, 102 follow Buddhism, and 26 follow Islam.
Pray for Christians being persecuted in China
China is ranked #19 on the 2024 World Watch List published by Open Doors.
The Chinese Communist Party sees Christianity as a threat to their power, so they put Christians under heavy surveillance, jail them, and restrict their meetings and actions as much as possible. China also has one of the strongest digital surveillance efforts in the world, making it difficult for the gospel to spread through media. It is illegal for anyone under 18-years-old to attend church.
World Watch List
You can learn about Christian persecution and pray for our brothers and sisters who being persecuted around the world by praying through the Open Doors’ World Watch List.
“[God] has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
How to pray for China
China is a diverse and unique East Asian country home to the third most unreached people groups in the world and intense Christian persecution.
Please pray for:
- Increasing church planting movements to take place among the 441 unreached people groups
- Inroads for the gospel to be made among the 274 frontier people groups
- Perseverance, strength and boldness for Christians facing persecution
- The Chinese government to allow religious freedom
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.“
Pray for China
Learn about and pray for China in just 5 minutes per week!
Receive one email per week for 13 weeks about China’s history, geography, persecution profile, and largest unreached people groups.