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Inside the 10/40 Window: The Countries 3.4 Billion Unreached People Call Home

Inside the 10/40 Window: The Countries 3.4 Billion Unreached People Call Home

3.4 billion people around the world have never heard about Jesus
and 97% of them are living in the 10/40 Window

 

What countries are in the 10/40 Window?

Countries on the 10/40 Window list have a large number of unreached people groups and are within or near the 10°N and 40°N latitude lines forming a box that extends from North Africa through Southeast Asia.1,2

Afghanistan Albania Algeria
Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh
Benin Bhutan Brunei
Burkina Faso Cambodia Chad
China Djibouti East Timor
Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia
Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau
India Indonesia Iran
Iraq Israel Japan
Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon
Libya Malaysia Maldives
Mali Mauritania Mongolia
Morocco Myanmar (Burma) Nepal
Niger Nigeria North Korea
Oman Pakistan Palestine
Qatar Saudi Arabia Senegal
Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan
Syria Taiwan Tajikistan
Thailand Tunisia Turkey
Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan
Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen

 

Beyond its geography, the 10/40 Window is significant for several reasons: it is the most densely populated region in the world, contains many of the poorest areas, includes the majority of countries where Christians face severe persecution, and is home to all major world religions. 

Christian persecution 

Christian persecution within the 10/40 Window is a serious and pressing issue. In many countries, Christians face severe restrictions on their religious freedoms, from social discrimination to violent attacks and imprisonment. Governments in some of these nations enforce strict anti-Christian laws, making it illegal to practice Christianity openly or to share the faith with others.3

Map with the 10/40 Window in blue
 
10/40 Window
nations with high concentrations 
of unreached people groups
Map with of the top 50 countries for Christian persecution in orange
 
Open Doors World Watch List 2024
50 countries where Christians face
the most extreme persecution
Map with Muslim countries in green
 
Islam
nations with significant
Muslim populations
Map with Buddhist countries in red
 
Buddhism
nations with significant
Buddhist populations
Map with Hindu countries in yellow
 
Hinduism
nations with significant
Hindu populations
Map with Christian countries in cyan
 
Christianity
nations with significant
Christian populations
Map with non-religious countries in white
 
Non-Religious
nations with significant
non-religious populations
Map with ethnically religious countries in black
 
Indigenous Religions
nations with large
indigenous religious populations

World Religions 

The 10/40 Window is also the birthplace of major world religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many indigenous faiths. It includes countries with the largest Muslim populations like Indonesia and Pakistan, and nations where Hinduism and Buddhism are predominant like India and Thailand. These religions influence the culture, society, and politics of the countries, often resulting in complex interfaith dynamics. The presence of these major religions in such close proximity emphasizes the importance of the 10/40 Window as a key location for missions.

But then, why is it so hard to hear about Jesus in the 10/40 Window?

 

1. Not enough people are going

Only 3.4% of missionaries around the world serve within the 10/40 Window. That's 3.4% of missionaries for the 97% of the world's unreached people.4 Let's do the math...

math equations showing the lack of missionaries in the 10/40 Window

So a city the size of Nuremberg would have 2 Christian workers to reach an entire city who has never heard of Jesus. Now that's a task! 

Only God knows the exact numbers, and He knows each of these people by name. He also knows how many people are needed to go so that everyone has the opportunity to hear about Him. And that's why He's not calling a select few. The Great Commission is a command to all Christians. 

 

2. Not enough resources are allocated to this work

According to the Center for Study of Global Christianity, 270 billion dollars are given to Christian work by believers globally each year (this is way less than tithing, just 1.76% of that same group's income is given to Christian work). Of what is given, 5.6% goes to missions. But only 0.1% makes it's way to work in the 10/40 Window.5

$9 for every $10,000 given to Christian work goes to work within the 10/40 Window

 

 

What's your response?

The Great Commission calls us all to be involved in seeing Jesus made known throughout the whole world. And maybe not every one of us has the ability to go and move to the 10/40 Window to serve. But we all have finances to give, and we definitely all can pray.

  • Pray for more workers to go to nations where people still haven't heard about Jesus.
  • Pray for the hearts of people to be open and ready to respond as they hear about Jesus.
  • Pray for protection and bold witness for Christians living in regions of higher persecution.
  • Pray for provision and funding for outreaches and projects actively reaching out to the unreached.

 

People all over the world are waiting to hear about Jesus!

You can make an impact. Your willingness to step out, to leave your comfort zone, and embrace the unknown makes room for Jesus to bring incredible transformation.

We can help you begin that journey.

 


References:

Pray 10/40. (n.d.). 10/40 Window the Ultimate Guide. Retrieved from https://pray1040.com/10-40-window/ 

2 Joshua Project. (n.d.). What is the 10/40 Window. Retrieved from https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window 

3 World Watch List 2024. (2024). Open Doors. Retrieved from https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ 

4 The Traveling Team. (2024). Mission Stats, the Current State of the World. Retrieved from https://www.thetravelingteam.org/stats 

5 World Christian Trends. (2001, experts and authors above have determined this trend hold true as of 2022). David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson. World Christian Trends Table 20-3, lines 41-44.

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