Chapter 9

Distribution across the national territory

Location, population, and access to Scripture.

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Where are the groups?

Beyond analyzing catalogs, translations, and formats, it's necessary to look at where communities are located and how they're distributed across Brazilian territory.

Location influences planning, logistics, community engagement, and resource allocation.

Territory

Where the groups are located.

Population

How groups are distributed by size.

Access

Where biblical resources have already reached.

Strategy

Where to prioritize efforts and resources.

Planning

Location helps identify priority areas for new projects.

Access

Remote or hard-to-reach regions require specific strategies.

Engagement

Regional realities influence forms of relationship and Scripture use.

Resources

Territorial distribution helps guide people, investments, and partnerships.

Overview

112

Catalog1 Highlight groups

View national distribution →

with NT in print

View Figure 9.2 →

with NT in audio

View Figure 9.3 →

with books on video

View Figure 9.4 →

These sets may overlap

58, 38, and 29 should not be added together to get a total number of groups — the same group may have NT in print, audio, and video at the same time.

Distribution by state and location

Figure 9.1

Catalog1 Highlight distributed across Brazilian territory

Where are Catalog1 Highlight groups located, and which states have the highest concentration?

112

language groups

states represented

1st
AM
32 groups
2nd
MT
18 groups
3rd
PA
15 groups

13 of 27 states have Catalog1 Highlight groups. This doesn't mean the other states lack linguistic diversity — it only refers to this figure's universe.

Tap a state in the list above to see its corresponding groups.

The marker represents a reference point — not the full area where the language is spoken.

Each language group is represented by a single geographic reference point. Some languages are spoken across several municipalities, states, or countries — the map is a summary, not the full distribution area of each language.

Figure 9.1

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NT in print

Figure 9.2

Catalog1 Highlight with NT in print: distribution by population and location

Where are the groups with the complete New Testament in print located, and how are they distributed by population size?

groups with NT in print

Population column not yet connected

ICMT's connected database doesn't yet have the official population column. The figures below are the report's editorial reference and don't filter the group list.

1–500: 5
501–1.000: 7
1.001–2.000: 15
2.001–4.000: 11
4.001–9.000: 8
Mais de 9.000: 12

Population diversity

The NT in print is present both among small communities and groups with larger populations. Population size alone doesn't determine missionary priority.

This figure's universe: 58 groups with the complete NT in print.

Universe: CC_NovoTestamento = '1NT Novo Testamento'. Doesn't include groups with an active or no project.

Figure 9.2

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NT in audio

Figure 9.3

Catalog1 Highlight with NT in audio: distribution by population and location

Where are the groups with the complete New Testament in audio located?

groups with NT in audio

Population column not yet connected

ICMT's connected database doesn't yet have the official population column. The figures below are the report's editorial reference and don't filter the group list.

1–500: 5
501–1.000: 6
1.001–2.000: 8
2.001–4.000: 8
4.001–9.000: 4
Mais de 9.000: 7

Audio and orality

Audio is especially important in contexts of oral tradition, low literacy, visual impairment, and community use of Scripture. Audio shouldn't be presented as a mandatory substitute for written text.

This figure's universe: 38 groups with the complete NT in audio.

Universe: CC_NovoTestamento = '1NT Novo Testamento' AND RE_Áudio_MP3 = '1MP NT Áudio' — complete NT in both text and audio.

Figure 9.3

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Books on video

Figure 9.4

Catalog1 Highlight with books on video: distribution by population and location

Where are the groups with Bible books available on video located?

groups with books on video

Population column not yet connected

ICMT's connected database doesn't yet have the official population column. The figures below are the report's editorial reference and don't filter the group list.

1–500: 3
501–1.000: 6
1.001–2.000: 7
2.001–4.000: 4
4.001–9.000: 3
Mais de 9.000: 6

Video and contemporary communication

Video expands access possibilities in contexts of orality and visual communication, and can also favor Scripture use in urban and digital settings.

Video complements text and audio.

This figure's universe: 29 groups with books available on video.

Universe: RE_LUMO = 'EeV Disponível'. Other RE_LUMO statuses (to produce, no audio, over time limit, no permission, not applicable) don't count as available.

Figure 9.4

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Compare formats

This section doesn't exist in the printed report — it's a useful adaptation for the PWA. It doesn't alter any figure's data.

The database doesn't yet have the population column — the figures by range below are the report's editorial reference for print.

1–500: 5
501–1.000: 7
1.001–2.000: 15
2.001–4.000: 11
4.001–9.000: 8
Mais de 9.000: 12

Comparison by range

1–500
5
Print
5
Audio
3
Video
501–1.000
7
Print
6
Audio
6
Video
1.001–2.000
15
Print
8
Audio
7
Video
2.001–4.000
11
Print
8
Audio
4
Video
4.001–9.000
8
Print
4
Audio
3
Video
Mais de 9.000
12
Print
7
Audio
6
Video

Don't add the three formats together

A group may have print and audio, print and video, or all three formats at once. The figures represent availability per format, not groups exclusive to each one.

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What you need to remember

The 112 groups are distributed across different regions of Brazil.
Amazonas has the highest concentration of groups in this analysis.
Figure 9.1 represents the groups across 13 states.
Each language appears at only one reference point on the map.
The maps don't represent the full geographic extent of the languages.
The 58 NTs in print reach communities of different sizes.
The 38 NTs in audio are also distributed across different population ranges.
The 29 video records serve both small and large groups.
Print, audio, and video may exist in the same group and shouldn't be added together.
Territory and population help contextualize strategic decisions.

Source: ICMT 2025 Project — Collaborative Information for the Bible Translation Movement, Brazil.

Content adapted from the ICMT 2025 Report for a digital, mobile-friendly experience.

The information and visualizations are intellectual property. When sharing or using this content, please cite the source appropriately.

Go to Chapter 10 — Download the ICMT 2025 Report