Karen People Cluster | Joshua Project

People Cluster: Karen What is a People Cluster?

Population

5,215,000

1.0% estimated
Annual Growth Rate

People Groups (Across Countries)

People Groups
(by Country)

Unreached Groups (by Country)

Affinity Bloc

Tibetan-Himalayan Peoples

Cluster Progress

The Joshua Project Progress Scale is an estimate of the progress of church planting among a people group, people cluster, country or language. The Progress Scale is derived from people group values for percent Evangelical and percent Christian Adherent.

Level	Description	Criteria
1	Unreached - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. Little, if any, history of Christianity.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians <= 5%
2	Minimally reached - Few evangelicals, but significant number who identify as Christians.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 5% and <= 50%
3	Superficially reached - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 50%
4	Partially reached - Evangelicals have a modest presence.	Evangelicals > 2% and <= 10%
5	Significantly reached - Evangelicals have a significant presence.	Evangelicals > 10%

Map Notes

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼

Progress Scale: ☀︎●●●●● (
☀︎
= Frontier Unreached Peoples)
Photo	People Group ▲	Global Population	Peoples by Country	Unreached by Country	% Unreached Peoples	Popl in Unreached	% Popl in Unreached	Progress Scale	Primary Religion	% Christian Adherent	% Evangelical	Est. Workers Needed *
	Karen, Bghai	23,000	2	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Ethnic Religions	26.3 %	17.9 %	-1 -
	Karen, Brek	20,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	87.0 %	36.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Geba	46,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	86.0 %	20.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Geko	19,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	75.0 %	40.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Kayah Eastern	28,000	2	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	4 ●	Buddhism	18.6 %	7.2 %	-1 -
	Karen, Kayah Western	186,000	2	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Buddhism	28.0 %	17.8 %	-1 -
	Karen, Lahta	12,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	4 ●	Buddhism	15.0 %	5.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Manumanaw	11,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	90.0 %	45.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Mobwa	4,600	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	75.0 %	20.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Paku	6,800	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	70.0 %	22.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Pwo Eastern	1,239,000	2	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	4 ●	Buddhism	30.2 %	5.8 %	-1 -
	Karen, Pwo Northern	86,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	2 ●	Ethnic Religions	12.0 %	2.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Pwo Rachaburi	6,500	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	2 ●	Ethnic Religions	10.0 %	1.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Pwo Western	211,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	42.0 %	18.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, S'gaw	2,257,000	4	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Christianity	51.4 %	38.5 %	-1 -
	Karen, Yinbaw	9,400	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Buddhism	32.0 %	25.0 %	-1 -
	Karen, Yintale	1,000	1	1	100.0 %	1,000	100.0 %	0 ☀︎	Buddhism	0.0 %	0.0 %	1
	Karen, Zayein	12,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	4 ●	Buddhism	18.0 %	9.0 %	-1 -
	Kayan, Padaung	149,000	2	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	5 ●	Ethnic Religions	29.9 %	21.6 %	-1 -
	Pa-O	874,000	2	1	50.0 %	873,000	99.9 %	1 ●	Buddhism	1.7 %	0.3 %	17
	Riang Lai	13,000	1	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	2 ●	Ethnic Religions	10.0 %	0.7 %	-1 -
Totals:	25 Peoples (across countries)	5,215,000	30	2	6.7 %	874,000	16.8 %	●	Buddhism	35.6%	20.9%	18

* An estimate of the number of pioneer workers needed for initial church planting among unreached people groups by country. Estimates are calculated only for unreached people groups and are based on ratio of 1 worker-unit (single person or married couple) per 50,000 living in an unreached people group by country, or for example one team of four worker-units per 200,000 people. Some workers may already be onsite. Many more workers are needed beyond this initial estimate.

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