Peoples of Togo

information taken from US Governmental World Factbook:

Population: 5,018,502
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 71.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.69 years
male: 52.75 years
female: 56.7 years (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups: native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Languages: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.7%
male: 67%
female: 37% (1995 est.)

People Groups of Togo

(information taken from Operation World, Patrick Johnston)

Over 78 ethnic groups in 2 major language families.

Kwa 53.4%. Mainly in the southern half of Togo; largest: Ewe 1,050,000; Wachi 570,000; Mina 327,000; Ife-Yoruba(3) 166,000; Aja 142,000; Akposo 121,000; Anufo (Chakossi) 53,000; Akebu 52,000; Fon 46,000; Mahi 30,000.

Gur 42.4%. Mainly in the north; largest: Kabiye (Kabré) 730,000; Kotokoli (Tem) 300,000; Moba (Bimoba) 243,000; Nawdm (Losso) 187,000; Lama (Lamba) 177,000; Gurma 154,000; Ntcham 150,000; Konkomba 67,000; Akaselem (Chamba) 45,000; Ngangam 44,000; Taberma (Somba) 26,000; Mossi 25,000.

Foreign 2.2%. Ghanaian, Beninese, Nigerian, French, Lebanese.

Other 2%. Fulbe 64,000; Hausa 13,000; Bisa 10,000.

Literacy 52%. Official language French. All languages 43. Only two indigenous languages used in education system: Ewe/Mina and Kabiye. Languages with Scriptures 6Bi 7NT 3por 12w.i.p.

Unreached Peoples of Togo

Togo and Benin have long had the highest percentage of unevangelized traditionalists in Africa. In 1990, 15 peoples had evangelical congregations in their cultures, 25 had none. Many of these unreached peoples now have congregations or groups of believers, but in most, only a beginning has been made. The major challenges:

a) The eight majority-Muslim peoples - the Kotokoli (SIM, IMB-SBC and now 50 believers), Anufo (YWAM, 200 believers), Akaselem (AoG, handful of believers), Bago (9,000), Akpe (4,000) and Anii (1,000) as well as the more dispersed Hausa and Fulbe (Baptists).

b) The northern traditional peoples - the Nawdm (AoG, Baptist, Deeper Life), Konkomba (Ghana workers), Taberma (AoG, Baptist, Church of Pentecost), Sola, Lokpa, Mossi (AoG), Bisa. Pray for these pioneering efforts to see breakthroughs for the gospel.

c) The south-central traditional peoples - the Akebu, Anyanga, Adele, Delo and Kpessi.

d) The southern coastal area which is poorly researched. There are likely to be many unmet needs among the Fon, Mahi and others.

Many of these peoples could be best reached by Ghanaian and Benin believers who are of the same language group.

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