The Garifuna of Nicaragua

The Garifuna of Nicaragua, numbering approximately 3,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Afro-Indigenous people of Central America's Caribbean coast descended from African, Arawak, and Kalinago ancestors. They speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and maintain a distinct maritime cultural heritage. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Garifuna is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Garifuna

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Nicaragua
People Cluster: Central American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Garifuna (cab)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 3,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG024796
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Pray for the Garifuna of Nicaragua

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: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Garifuna
Language Family: Arawakan

75%
%
Garifuna Speakers

Media Resources in Garifuna:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Garifuna:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2002 Bible Society of Honduras✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Garifuna bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Garifuna are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Garifuna:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Garifuna of Nicaragua

And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."
readMark 14:23-24

Pray for those who may have heard the gospel but have not yet submitted their lives to Christ, that they will finally see the sacrifice which He made for them and surrender their lives to Him.

If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
readPsalm 139:8

Pray that the lost will recognize God's presence with them wherever they go, put their faith in Christ, and seek to live in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
readJohn 14:2-3

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will persevere in hope, remembering that Jesus went to prepare a place for them to be with Him for eternity!

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
readJeremiah 29:7

Pray that God will lead the lost among them to followers of Jesus who will share the gospel with them so that they may believe and take the message of hope to their families and friends.

Garifuna Across Countries (ROP3 - 101510) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

6 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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