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People group profile · PG022638

The Buru of Indonesia

The Buru of Indonesia, numbering about 51,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Maluku-Central people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Buru (Indonesia).

Pray for the BuruPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
51,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Maluku-Central
Primary language
Buru (Indonesia) (mhs)
Primary religion
Animism
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 ?
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Maluku province: Buru island except northeast corner, 70 villages; some on Ambon island in Jakarta

Where they live

Gospel status

The Buru 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 Buru

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

58% adherents

Primary language

Buru (Indonesia) · Austronesian family

76% speak Buru (Indonesia)

Gospel resources in Buru (Indonesia)

  • Bible available, published 1998
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings 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 Buru

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

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