Malay language resources | Joshua Project

Home People Groups Lists Language: Malay

Language: Malay

Population of Groups Speaking

23,905,000

People Groups Speaking as Primary Language

Scripture Status

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Map Notes

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
People Group ▲	Country	Population	Progress Scale
Acehnese	Malaysia	91,000	0 ☀︎
Bajau Bukit, Papar	Malaysia	2,100	1 ●
Banjarese, Banjar Malay	Malaysia	29,000	0 ☀︎
Batu Punan	Malaysia	1,300	2 ●
Bazaar Low Malay Creole	Singapore	11,000	0 ☀︎
Belitung	Indonesia	117,000	0 ☀︎
Buginese	Malaysia	156,000	0 ☀︎
Malay	United Arab Emirates	29,000	1 ●
Malay	Australia	183,000	1 ●
Malay	Myanmar (Burma)	27,000	0 ☀︎
Malay	Canada	2,700	1 ●
Malay	Cambodia	18,000	0 ☀︎
Malay	Comoros	1,000	1 ●
Malay	Denmark	800	1 ●
Malay	China, Hong Kong	20,000	1 ●
Malay	Indonesia	3,325,000	0 ☀︎
Malay	Japan	9,600	1 ●
Malay	Korea, South	9,700	1 ●
Malay	Christmas Island	300	1 ●
Malay	Madagascar	37,000	1 ●
Malay	Malaysia	13,600,000	0 ☀︎
Malay	Netherlands	1,600	1 ●
Malay	New Zealand	22,000	1 ●
Malay	Saudi Arabia	19,000	1 ●
Malay	Singapore	563,000	1 ●
Malay	Taiwan	21,000	1 ●
Malay	United States	21,000	1 ●
Malay	Yemen	51,000	1 ●
Malay, Cocos Islands	Malaysia	6,200	0 ☀︎
Malay, Ketapang	Indonesia	316,000	0 ☀︎
Malay, Malaysian	Ireland	3,600	1 ●
Malay, Malaysian	United Kingdom	61,000	1 ●
Malay, Pontianak	Indonesia	327,000	1 ●
Malay, Riau	Singapore	17,000	1 ●
Malay, Riau	Indonesia	1,923,000	0 ☀︎
Malay, Sambas	Indonesia	516,000	0 ☀︎
Malay, Sumatera North	Indonesia	2,318,000	0 ☀︎
Orang Kanaq	Malaysia	200	1 ●
Tamiang	Indonesia	47,000	0 ☀︎
Temoq	Malaysia	800	1 ●
Totals: 40			39 ●

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
People Group ▲	Country	Population	Progress Scale
Bangka	Indonesia	450,000	1 ●
Kelabit	Indonesia	900	4 ●
Kelabit	Malaysia	6,100	4 ●
Malayali, Malayalam	Malaysia	373,000	5 ●
Minangkabau, Orang Negeri	Malaysia	1,010,000	0 ☀︎
Totals: 5			2 ●

Download Sources Definitions Prayer Cards

Item	Value
Status	Living
Ethnologue Code	zlm
Written	Yes
Bible Translation	Complete Bible
Progress Scale	●

More Information
Ethnologue
GRN MapApp
ISO639-3
PeopleGroups.org
Glottolog
Wikipedia

Language Alternate Names
Akit
Bahasa Daerah
Bahasa Malayu
Bahasa Melayu
coastal Jambi
Coastal Terengganu
Colloquial Malay
Informal Malay
Jugra-Muar-Melaka-Johor
Kapuas Hulu
Landak
Local Malay
Lubu
Malayu
Northwestern Kalimantan
Orang Hulu
Orang Kuala
Pahang
Riau islands
Riau islands (Sea Tribe dialects)
Riau Mainland
S
Sakai
Sanggau
Sarawak (Sarawak Malay)
Sarawak Malay
Sea Tribe dialects
Sekadau
Sintang
Southeast Island
Tamiang

Dialects
Akit
Bangka
Belitung
Bulongan
Capur Acu
Coastal Jambi
Coastal Terengganu
Daya
Deli
Inland Terengganu
Jugra-Muar-Melaka-Johor
Kapuas Hulu
Kelantan
Ketapang
Landak
Lengkayap
Malay
Mali
Mentuka
Northwestern Kalimantan
Paga Alam
Pahang
Pontianak
Riau
Riau islands
Riau Mainland
Rokan Hili
Sakai
Sambas
Sanggau
Sarawak
Sekadau
Sintang
Southeast Island
Southwestern Coastal Kalimantan
Sukadana
Suku Laut
Tamiang
Tanjung Raja
Tebang
Tembaga
Upstream Western Kalimantan
West Borneo Coast Malay

Dialect Alternate Names
Bahasa Bangka
Bulongan Malay
Capur Acu Malay
Colloquial Malay
Deli Malay
Doih
Johor
Local Malay
Malay: Bangka
Malay: Belitung
Malay: Daya
Malay: Inland Terengganu
Malay: Kelantan
Malay: Ketapang
Malay: Riau
Malay: Ritok
Malay: Sambas
Malay: Sarawak
Malayisch
Malayu
Melayu Bangka
Melayu Sambas
Melayu: Bulongan
Melayu: Daya
Melayu: Paga Alam
Melayu: Pontianak
Melayu: Riau
Melayu: Sambas
Melayu: Tanjung Raja
Mentuka-Doih
Riouw-lingga
Ritok
Sarawak
Sarawak Malay
Siantan
Suku Laut Malay
Tobak
Toba'k

Bible Translation	Year / Status
Bible Portions	1629-1932
New Testament	1668-1974
Complete Bible	2015

Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
Virtual Storehouse
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder

Resource Directories
Scripture Earth
Language Archives
Linguist List
SIL Resources

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
Format ▲	Resource (Direct link)	Source (General link)
Audio Recordings	Audio Bible teaching	Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings	Love letter to you from scripture	Father's Love Letter
Film / Video	Indigitube.tv Video / Animation	Create International
Film / Video	Jesus Film: view in Malay	Jesus Film Project
Film / Video	My Last Day video, anime	Jesus Film Project
Film / Video	Story of Jesus for Children	Jesus Film Project
Film / Video	World Christian Videos	World Christian Videos
General	Bible for Children	Bible for Children
General	Biblical answers to your questions	Got Questions Ministry
General	Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video	Faith Comes by Hearing
General	Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video	Faith Comes by Hearing
General	Four Spiritual Laws	Cru
General	Scripture Earth Gospel resources links	Scripture Earth
Mobile App	Android Bible app direct APK download	SIL
Mobile App	Android Bible app: Injil MY	General / Other
Mobile App	Download audio Bible app as APK file	Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App	Download audio Bible app as APK file	Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App	Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store	Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App	iOS Bible app: Injil MY	General / Other
Mobile App	iOS Bible app: Zabur MY	General / Other
Text / Printed Matter	Download scripture in this language	eBible.org
Text / Printed Matter	Jesus Messiah comic book	General / Other
Text / Printed Matter	Literacy primer for Malay	Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter	Tools for faith conversations	Cru
Text / Printed Matter	Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies	World Missionary Press

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
1	Unreached - 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%

Disclaimers:

Joshua Project data is drawn from many sources and of varying accuracy depending on source and editorial decisions. Populations are scaled to the current year. Other data may have varying ages. We welcome updates.
Joshua Project occasionally adjusts profile text from third party sources. This is done to avoid confusion regarding the current reality of a people group, to fix grammar and spelling and to avoid potentially offensive wording.
A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. Blanks mean an unknown value.
Data is not as precise as it appears. Values for %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical (which determine unreached status) are often informed estimates, some more accurate than others. We recommend against using %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical to calculate absolute numbers.
Joshua Project makes every effort to ensure that the subject in an image is in fact from the specific people group. In rare instances a representative photo may be used.
Joshua Project may be able to provide more information than what is published on this site. Please contact us.
On-the-ground reality may vary from what is presented here. Before making travel plans based on data presented here, please confirm with other sources to the extent possible.