New Improved Website, Same Trusted Data

We've rebuilt the experience from the ground up. Here's what changed and why it matters for your research.

For decades, Joshua Project has served as a reliable source for data on unreached people groups. The mission hasn’t changed, but the way we deliver that information is getting better.

What You’re Seeing Now

The homepage, Frontier People Group (FPG) page, People Group Adoption page, and Resources page have all been redesigned. These aren’t cosmetic tweaks. We’ve rebuilt the user experience to inform you faster while stripping away friction and ambiguity. Every click should get you closer to the information you need, not lost in navigation.

We’ve also launched a new page specifically for people curious about getting started in missions. Whether you’re a student exploring God’s call or a church leader researching next steps, this page is designed to meet you where you are.

What’s Happening Behind the Scenes

While you’re interacting with a cleaner interface, we’re in the midst of a significant infrastructure overhaul. For years, our master data has lived in Microsoft Access, then moved to MySQL to power the website. We’re now migrating to Microsoft Azure with PostgreSQL, a process that will continue well into 2026.

This isn’t a flip-of-the-switch transition. It’s methodical, deliberate work that will position Joshua Project’s data infrastructure for the long term. When complete, it will give us more flexibility in how we manage and deliver data to the global missions community. This means capturing and synthesizing millions of data points, displaying nuance that reflects the complexity of people groups, and creating experiences tailored to how you use our data; whether you’re a researcher, mobilizer, or prayer advocate.

Understanding PGIC and PGAC

You may have noticed the metric bar on our homepage now defaults to showing People Groups Across Countries (PGAC). This change deserves some explanation because most users haven’t spent much time thinking about how we count people groups.

People Groups In Countries (PGIC) has been our traditional counting method. For example: if the Bambara people live in 12 countries, we count them as 12 separate people groups. This made sense when people group lists were first developed, when communication was limited, travel was expensive, and migration was minimal. Geography mattered more because it created real barriers.

People Groups Across Countries (PGAC) counts that same Bambara population as one people group, regardless of borders. Given instant communication, easy travel, and dramatic migration patterns today, geopolitical boundaries matter less for understanding people group identity. A Somali in Kenya shares language, culture, and worldview with a Somali in Ethiopia or Yemen. The barrier isn’t the border.

This matters strategically. PGAC eliminates the problem of constantly expanding lists as diaspora communities form. It emphasizes the relationship between homeland and diaspora populations. And it aligns more closely with how frontier mission work actually happens, where engagement strategies often span multiple countries because the people group spans multiple countries.

The Transition Is Gradual

We’re not flipping everything to PGAC overnight. The transition is happening progressively across the site. Right now, the homepage metrics default to PGAC, and our PGIC profiles include listings of people groups across countries. The first PGAC profiles are being created behind the scenes but aren’t yet visible on the site.

At a global level, PGAC will become our default format because it provides the clearest picture of the unfinished task. But we’re not removing PGIC. Country pages, PGIC views, and country-specific data will remain accessible because depending on your research needs or strategic focus, PGIC may be exactly what you’re looking for. A missions organization planning work in a specific country benefits from seeing people groups through that geographic lens.

Both counting methods have value. We’re simply adjusting which one leads, while keeping both available depending on what you need.

More to Come

We’ll continue rolling out updates throughout 2026. Some will be visible immediately. Others will work quietly in the background, strengthening the foundation that makes Joshua Project a trusted resource.

The data you rely on isn’t going anywhere. We’re just making sure the infrastructure supporting it, and the experience of accessing it, serves you better.

To continue supporting this technology rebuild, would you consider partnering in the funding of this massive project?

With all gratitude,
Ben and the Joshua Project team