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

People group profile · PG018291

The Bali-Vitu of Papua New Guinea

The Bali-Vitu of Papua New Guinea, numbering about 25,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a small Austronesian-speaking island people of Papua New Guinea whose lives center on fishing, village life, and close connections to their volcanic island environment in the Bismarck Sea.

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 Uneapa.

Pray for the Bali-VituPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bali-Vitu people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bali

Fast facts

Country
Papua New Guinea
Population
25,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Uneapa (bbn)
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
Location
West New Britain province: Talasea district, Unea island, off northwest coast

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bali-Vitu 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 Bali-Vitu

  • 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

78% adherents

Primary language

Uneapa · Austronesian family

100% speak Uneapa

Gospel resources in Uneapa

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

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

Pray for the Bali-Vitu

  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.