The Karakalpaks of Kazakhstan

The Karakalpaks of Kazakhstan, numbering approximately 1,900 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community formed through migration from Karakalpakstan and the lower Amu Darya region to Kazakhstan that maintains a distinct Karakalpak identity closely related to other Kipchak Turkic peoples. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Kara-Kalpak is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Karakalpak

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Turkic Peoples
Country: Kazakhstan
People Cluster: Kazakh
Primary Language(s): Kara-Kalpak (kaa)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 1,900
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG024276
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Karakalpaks of Kazakhstan

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

78%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kara-Kalpak
Language Family: Turkic

100%
%
Karakalpak Speakers

Media Resources in Kara-Kalpak:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Kara-Kalpak:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2004 Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Kara-Kalpak bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Karakalpaks 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 Karakalpaks:
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 Karakalpaks of Kazakhstan

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
readProverbs 30:5

Pray that those who don't yet know God will trust the flawless Word of God and seek refuge in Him, finding hope and salvation instead of remaining in spiritual darkness.

The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
readPsalm 146:9

Pray for God to watch over people, wherever they are, and cause them to meet believers who will share the gospel with them clearly and lovingly.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
readActs 4:31

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak God's Word with boldness, sharing the love of Jesus with those around them.

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
readActs 17:29

Pray that God will send out laborers to tell people of the one true God and, as the good news is shared, bring about repentance and belief as they turn from idols and follow Jesus.

Karakalpak Across Countries (ROP3 - 104638) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

4 people groups

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

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