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People group profile · PG000063

The Congolese of Belgium

The Congolese of Belgium, numbering about 15,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a diverse collection of peoples native to the Congo Basin, whose cultures reflect centuries of interaction among riverine, forest, savanna, and urban communities. They are characterized by extensive linguistic diversity and strong kinship networks.

They are a diaspora people in the Bantu, Central-Congo people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Lingala.

Pray for the CongolesePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Congolese people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 3 Flash: Congolese

Fast facts

Country
Belgium
Population
15,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary language
Lingala (lin)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
15% or Greater but Less than 20%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
Western Europe, Europe

Where they live

Gospel status

The Congolese are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Congolese

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

60% adherents

Primary language

Lingala · Atlantic-Congo family

50% speak Lingala

Gospel resources in Lingala

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Congolese

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Lingala in other countries

The same people (ROP3 105785) is reported in 8 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
LingalaCongo, Democratic Republic of the4,300,000No Longer Unreached
LingalaAngola200,000Engaged yet Unreached
LingalaCongo189,000Engaged yet Unreached
LingalaSouth Sudan49,000Unengaged and Unreached
CongoleseUnited States38,000No Longer Unreached
CongoleseUganda27,500No Longer Unreached
LingalaCentral African Republic19,000Engaged yet Unreached
LingalaCanada3,500No Longer Unreached

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