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People group profile · PG022484

The Batak Karo of Indonesia

The Batak Karo of Indonesia, numbering about 922,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia (Sumatra), central and north, west and northwest of Lake Toba.

They are an indigenous people in the Batak-Nias of Sumatra people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Batak Karo.

Pray for the Batak KaroPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
922,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Batak-Nias of Sumatra
Primary language
Batak Karo (btx)
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
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Aceh province: Aceh Tenggara regency, at the border; North Sumatra province: Dairi, Deli Serdang, Karo, and Langkat regencies; Tapanuli Tengah regency, south small border area

Where they live

Gospel status

The Batak Karo 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 Batak Karo

  • 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

Primary language

Batak Karo · Austronesian family

76% speak Batak Karo

Gospel resources in Batak Karo

  • Bible available, published 2003
  • 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 Batak Karo

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

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