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People group profile · PG009129

The Katu of Laos

The Katu of Laos, numbering about 30,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Katuic people of the Annamite Range highlands in southeastern Laos, descended from the ancient Hoabinhian hunter-gatherer tradition before adopting swidden rice cultivation, with villages built around a communal house.

They are an indigenous people in the Mon-Khmer people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Eastern Katu.

Pray for the KatuPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Katu people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Katu

Fast facts

Country
Laos
Population
30,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Mon-Khmer
Primary language
Eastern Katu (ktv)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Katu are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Katu

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

100% adherents

Primary language

Eastern Katu · Austroasiatic family

100% speak Eastern Katu

Gospel resources in Eastern Katu

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

Films

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

Pray for the Katu

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

Download a prayer guide

Katu in other countries

The same people (ROP3 104746) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
KatuVietnam61,500Engaged yet Unreached

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