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The Katio of Colombia

The Katio of Colombia, numbering approximately 38,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Emberá subgroup of northwestern Colombia whose communities inhabit the forested regions of Córdoba, Antioquia, and Chocó and maintain a distinct Katío identity within the broader Emberá cultural and linguistic tradition. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Emberá-Catío is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Embera, Katio

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Colombia
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Emberá-Catío (cto)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 38,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG016227
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Pray for the Katio of Colombia

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

55%
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Emberá-Catío
Language Family: Chocoan

100%
%
Embera Catío Speakers

Media Resources in Emberá-Catío:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Emberá-Catío:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Wycliffe Bible Translators Inc.✓✓

1 entry

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Emberá-Catío bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Katio are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Katio:
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

Pray specifically for the Katio of Colombia

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
readProverbs 4:19

Pray that lost people will accept salvation through Christ, turn from destruction, and experience joy in the way of righteousness.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
readRomans 5:1

Pray that the gospel will advance and that many who are far from God will receive the good news of salvation with joy and have peace with God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
read2 Corinthians 6:14

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and want to marry, they will be led to other believers and enter into godly marriages.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
read2 Peter 3:9

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will patiently endure hardships as they share the gospel, knowing that the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise.

Embera-Catio (Katio) Across Countries (ROP3 - 101900) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
KatioPG016227KatioColombia38,500Engaged yet UnreachedEmberá-CatíoEthnoreligion

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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