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People group profile · PG047735

The Deaf Panamanians of Panama

The Deaf Panamanians of Panama, numbering about 42,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.

They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Panamanian Sign Language.

Pray for the Deaf PanamaniansPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Deaf Panamanians people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Deaf Panamanian

Fast facts

Country
Panama
Population
42,000
Affinity group
Deaf Peoples
People cluster
Deaf
Primary language
Panamanian Sign Language (lsp)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Central America, Americas

Where they live

Gospel status

The Deaf Panamanians are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, there are no evangelical Christians or churches among this people group and there is no access to evangelical print, audio, visual or human resources.

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

Next steps for the Deaf Panamanians

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

Primary language

Panamanian Sign Language · Sign Language family

21% speak Panamanian Sign Language

Gospel resources in Panamanian Sign Language

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Deaf Panamanians

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

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