People group profile · PG047775
The Deaf Papua New Guineans of Papua New Guinea
The Deaf Papua New Guineans of Papua New Guinea, numbering about 50,500 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 Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Papua New Guinean Sign Language.

Fast facts
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
- Population
- 50,500
- Affinity group
- Deaf Peoples
- People cluster
- Deaf
- Primary language
- Papua New Guinean Sign Language (pgz)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Melanesia, Oceania
Where they live
Gospel status
The Deaf Papua New Guineans 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 Papua New Guineans
- 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
30% adherents
Primary language
Papua New Guinean Sign Language · Sign language family
80% speak Papua New Guinean Sign Language
Gospel resources in Papua New Guinean 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 Papua New Guineans
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- 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.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.