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People group profile · PG022669

The Kau of Indonesia

The Kau of Indonesia, numbering about 550 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia (Maluku), north Maluku, interior North Halmahera, Kao town area, Kao River mouth area.

They are an indigenous people in the Maluku-Northern people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Indonesian.

Pray for the KauPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
550
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Maluku-Northern
Primary language
Indonesian (ind)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
North Maluku province: Halmahera Utara regency; north Halmahera island on Kao bay area near Kao river mouth

Where they live

Gospel status

The Kau are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Kau

  • 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

52% adherents

Primary language

Indonesian · Austronesian family

90% speak Indonesian

Gospel resources in Indonesian

  • Bible available, published 2017
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs 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 Kau

  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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