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

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.

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

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
readPsalm 32:5

Pray those who are lost will realize their sin, confess their iniquity, and grow in their understanding of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.
readPsalm 66:4

Pray that the good news of Jesus will advance here and that many will bow down and sing praises to His name.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
readActs 17:23

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have a deep desire to know God more fully and to make Him known in creative ways to others who are still searching for truth.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
read2 Thessalonians 3:1-3

Pray that the Word of God will spread throughout this people group and be honored. Ask God to establish His people and guard them from the evil one, testifying to this whole people group of His great faithfulness.

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.

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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