Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG010307

The Nimowa of Papua New Guinea

The Nimowa of Papua New Guinea, numbering about 3,400 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an indigenous ethnic group of Papua New Guinea.

They are an indigenous people in the New Guinea people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Nimoa.

Pray for the NimowaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Papua New Guinea
Population
3,400
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Nimoa (nmw)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC ?
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Melanesia, Oceania

Where they live

Gospel status

The Nimowa are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Nimowa

  • 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

81% adherents

Primary language

Nimoa · Austronesian family

100% speak Nimoa

Gospel resources in Nimoa

  • Bible available, published 2016
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

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

Pray for the Nimowa

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

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.