Global Info

People Group Research

Christians share God’s love with thousands of people groups throughout the world. But at least 2,000 more unreached people groups—more than 1.6 billion people—have never even heard the gospel for the first time.

What is a people group?

We have projects among many of these people groups, and you can learn about these people groups, pray for them and serve among them.

Bibles available in many languages

On the Web

• IMB Missions Research Resources: People Group profiles compiled by the International Mission Board.
• Global Research online people groups search: Basic information on all identified people groups in the world.
• Joshua Project II: Information about the 10/40 Window and unreached peoples.
• Bethany Unreached Peoples Prayer Guides: Culture and lifestyle, and religion information about many of the world’s unreached people groups.
• Ethnologue: A broad catalogue of the world’s languages, divided by country, region, speakers and linguistic affiliation. Interactive maps also available.
• Encarta World Atlas: Interactive atlas, country and city information.
• Global Mapping International: Digital mapping resources on the Web, mission databases, online library catalogs and links to dozens of worldwide Web sites for missions research, along with information about GMI’s programs and products.
• World Factbook: The CIA’s published information about geography, politics, economics and social situation in each country of the world.
• National Geographic Magazine: Informative articles and award-winning photography featuring countries and peoples around the world.
• The Virtual Research Center: A site for investigating people, countries and cultures, music, arts, languages and news of the world community
• Wheaton College's missions links
• That all peoples may know Him: Watch the world population increase and compare the number of people hearing the gospel and how many are responding.
• Asia Harvest: Profiles of people groups in China, Laos and Vietnam.
• Federal Research Division Country Studies: Descriptions and analyses of countries around the world, including their social, economic and political systems.

Library resources

Reference books

• Outline of World Cultures. 6^th ed. New Haven: HRAF 1983. List of people groups and topics which shows the relationship of people subgroups to larger groups and countries. Also useful to help identify variant spelling and other common names of a people group.
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1991. Ten volume set of descriptive summaries of different cultures (most represent a people group). Longer essays include information on “Marriage and Family” and “Religion and Expressive Culture” as well as a bibliography. Detailed ethonym and subject index in volume 10.
• The Encyclopedia of the Peoples of the World. New York: Henry Holt, 1993.  One-volume guide to people groups.
• Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey. Ed. Richard V. Weekes. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1978. Collection of essays and bibliographies about Muslim people groups. Appendixes give tabular information about the groups arranged by country and by group.
• World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Study of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, AD 1900-2000. Ed. David Barrett. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. Information about religious situation and statistics regarding evangelistic activity in each country of the world (in 1982).
• General encyclopedias—Encyclopedia Americana, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Academic Encyclopedia General resources about countries and peoples.

Periodicals and indexes

• The Commission Online (International Mission Board, SBC).
• Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
• International Bulletin of Missionary Research
• Missiology
• Abstracts in Anthropology (1970–1992)
• Middle East: Abstracts and Index
• Social Sciences Index (including anthropology and area studies)
• Humanities Index (including history, art, music, religion)

Compiled by Collegiate Mobilization Department, International Mission Board (SBC) with assistance from Global Mapping International and Dr. Grant Lovejoy, IMB Director of Orality Strategies. This document may be freely reproduced.