Explore South Asia
South Asia stretches from the mountains of Afghanistan to the islands of the Maldives, and from the high Himalaya to the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Its eight countries are home to about a quarter of the world’s people, ancient civilisations, many of the world’s great faith traditions, and churches both old and young.
One region, many worlds
South Asia holds a remarkable variety of peoples, languages, faiths and ways of life. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Christianity all have deep roots here, alongside many local traditions.
Within one country, and often within one city, neighbours may speak different languages, follow different faiths and remember different histories.
About 2 billion
people live in South Asia’s eight countries.
About 3,750
people groups, counted country by country.
Source: Joshua Project, South Asia and Afghanistan, accessed October 2026.
A regional label never replaces local understanding. Each country, people and community has its own story. We want to listen before we speak, and learn from local believers.
The eight countries
Choose a country to learn its story and pray with understanding.
Afghanistan
A mountainous land at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, with a long history of trade, poetry and hospitality.
Bangladesh
A land of great rivers, where the Ganges and Brahmaputra flow into the Bay of Bengal, and one of the most densely populated countries on earth.
Bhutan
A small Himalayan kingdom that treasures its traditions, its landscape and its own way of life.
India
The world’s most populous nation, with a remarkable range of languages, cultures, faiths and churches.
Maldives
More than a thousand coral islands spread across a chain of atolls in the Indian Ocean.
Nepal
From the plains of the Terai to the high Himalaya, a country of many peoples, languages and mountain communities.
Pakistan
From the Arabian Sea to the Karakoram mountains, a land of ancient civilisations and many regional cultures.
Sri Lanka
An island nation with a long written history, where Sinhala, Tamil and other communities live side by side.
The Circle of Significance
South Asia sits within a circle that holds more than half of the world’s people. We are preparing an interactive map that will let you explore the region and pray country by country.
Churches that can send
Many South Asian believers already live alongside communities with little access to the gospel. They share languages, cultures and everyday life. We believe God can use the churches of South Asia to carry the good news across cultures, close to home and further afield.
Pray for South Asia
Use these prompts to pray for the whole region, then choose a country to pray for in more depth.
For the churches of South Asia: that believers would grow deep in Scripture and live as faithful, kind neighbours.
For people who have never heard the good news of Jesus in a way they can understand, in their own language.
For families and communities facing poverty, illness, disaster or displacement, and for all who serve them.
For those who follow Jesus at personal cost, especially where faith brings pressure from family or society.
For churches to recognise those God is calling, and to prepare, send and care for them well.
For peace, justice and wise leadership in every nation of the region.