People group profile · PG043753
The Karen of Australia
The Karen of Australia, numbering about 4,200 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic subgroup of the Karen, an ethnic group of Sino-Tibetan language-speaking people indigenous to the Kayin State in southeastern Myanmar.
They are a diaspora people in the Karen people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Pwo Eastern Karen.

Fast facts
- Country
- Australia
- Population
- 4,200
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Karen
- Primary language
- Pwo Eastern Karen (kjp)
- Primary religion
- Protestantism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Australia and New Zealand, Oceania
Where they live
Gospel status
The Karen are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Karen
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Protestantism · Christianity
Primary language
Pwo Eastern Karen · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Pwo Eastern Karen
Gospel resources in Pwo Eastern Karen
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Karen, Pwo Eastern)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Karen
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Karen, Pwo Eastern in other countries
The same people (ROP3 104659) is reported in 2 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pwo Karen | Myanmar | 1,270,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Pwo Karen | United States | 200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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