The Sonsorol of Palau

The Sonsorol of Palau, numbering approximately 900 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Chuukic-speaking Micronesian people of Palau's remote Sonsorol Islands, descended by tradition from canoe voyagers who drifted from Ulithi Atoll, ethnically and linguistically distinct from mainland Palauans despite shared statehood. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Palauan is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Pacific Islander Peoples
Country: Palau
People Cluster: Micronesian
Primary Language(s): Palauan (pau)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 900
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG050219
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Sonsorol of Palau

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: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

50%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Palauan
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Palauan Speakers

Media Resources in Palauan:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Palauan:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
United Bible Societies✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Palauan bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Sonsorol 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 Sonsorol:
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 Sonsorol of Palau

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
readJohn 16:33

Pray that those who don't have peace with God will find peace in Christ, even amid the troubles of this world.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
readJohn 3:14-15

Pray that the lost will look to Jesus lifted up on the cross and believe in Him, gaining eternal life with God.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
readJames 1:2-3

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will consider it pure joy when they face trials of many kinds, trusting in God's promise that the testing of their faith produces perseverance.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
readLuke 10:1

Ask God to raise up, send out, and sustain Christians who can go together to share the good news of Jesus with those who need it.

Sonsorol Across Countries (ROP3 - 109419) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

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