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People group profile · PG010381

The Podopa of Papua New Guinea

The Podopa of Papua New Guinea, numbering about 9,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Indigenous Papuan people of southern Papua New Guinea.

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

Pray for the PodopaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Papua New Guinea
Population
9,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Folopa (ppo)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Melanesia, Oceania

Where they live

Gospel status

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

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

Next steps for the Podopa

  • 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

Protestantism · Christianity

43% adherents

Primary language

Folopa · Teberan family

100% speak Folopa

Gospel resources in Folopa

  • Bible available, published 2014
  • 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 Podopa

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

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