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

People group profile · PG020737

The Karua of Papua New Guinea

The Karua of Papua New Guinea, numbering about 4,600 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a dialect of Bola (bnp), a language of Papua New Guinea, West New Britain, northeast coast, Willaumez Peninsula, on the east side of Kimbe.

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 Bola.

Pray for the KaruaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Papua New Guinea
Population
4,600
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Bola (bnp)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
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 Karua 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 Karua

  • 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

Primary language

Bola · Austronesian family

65% speak Bola

Gospel resources in Bola

  • Bible available, published 2011
  • 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 Karua

  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

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