Key Stats
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Continent: | Asia |
| Capital: | Ashgabat |
| Population: | 6,598,071 |
| % Urban: | 53 % |
| Population Under 15 Yrs: | 30.8 % |
| Official Language: | Turkmen using Latin script as in Turkey since 1994; previously Cyrillic script |
| Languages: | 9 |
| Literacy Rate: | 100 % |
| Life Expectancy: | 69.3 yrs (169/236) |
| HDI Ranking: | 91 / 189 |
| % Christian: | 1.8 % |
| % Evangelical: | 0 % |
| Largest Religion: | Muslim |
| % Largest Religion: | 96.2 % |
| People Groups: | 49 |
| Least Reached People Groups: | 30 |
| % Unevangelized: | 63 % |
| Persecution Ranking: | 26 / 50 |
Turkmenistan
Hostility against almost any foreign Christian activity or even presence has persisted for over 20 10 years. Almost every foreign Christian has been expelled. Several national pastors have been exiled, beaten, heavily fined or imprisoned. The twenty or so registered congregations continue to be intimidated and forbidden to meet. Registration is a difficult, near-impossible process, and when it does occur, it only subjects the church to greater surveillance. Pray for a softening of the attitude of the authorities, for courage for Christians in Turkmenistan to stand firm and for Christians outside of the country to pray and speak up against these hostile actions.
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Content taken or adapted from Operation World, 7th Edition (2010) and Pray for the World (2015). Both books are published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.