The Key Findings on Worldwide Bible Access Availability of Scripture, Not the Full Story report from the Bible Access Initiative group, shows that “Bible access is restricted for over 500 million Christians worldwide”.

The study outlines the situation regarding Bible access in 106 countries, based on two questions: “where is Bible access most restricted?” and “Where are Bible shortages among Christians greatest?”.

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The strictest restrictions are found in Afghanistan, followed by Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania; while the top five countries on the Bible shortage list are DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, India and Uganda.

“We often hear that the Bible is more accessible than ever, but we must not confuse availability with access”, said Wybo Nicolai, co-author of the report.

According to Nicolai, “persecution-related Bible access restrictions can make accessing Scripture difficult or dangerous, while socioeconomic barriers can put a Bible beyond people’s reach”.

“Even where Scripture is available digitally, limited internet coverage or unsafe online environments can still prevent people from accessing it”, he adds.

Persecution-related Bible access

“Persecution through government controls, extremist violence, and family and community pressure make accessing Bibles difficult or dangerous”, stresses the report.

That affects “every dimension of Bible access”, such as printing and distribution, which is prohibited or severely restricted in 39 countries; importing Bibles, restricted in 38 countries; storing in 37, and personal ownership in 34.

In addition to the six countries with the strongest Bible restrictions, Turkmenistan, Libya, Sudan, Iran, Comoros and the Maldives are categorized as having “extreme restrictions”.

Socioeconomic barriers

The report warns that “socioeconomic barriers can make Bible access difficult even where few or no persecution-related restrictions exist”.

“A Bible can be perfectly legal, printed in the country, and stocked in the city, and still never reach a believer who cannot afford it, cannot travel to it, cannot read it, or has no electricity to charge the phone that might otherwise carry it”, it adds.

The authors point out that “more than 550 million Christians across 33 countries face severe socioeconomic barriers, including poverty, poor infrastructure, limited electricity, low literacy and limited internet access”.

Across those countries, an estimated 82 million Christians are without a Bible.

Digital availability does not guarantee access

According to the study, “more than 400 million Christians across 42 countries are estimated to live without internet access. For them, a Bible available online is inaccessible”.

But even when internet access exists, safety can present another restriction. The report informs that in 48 countries, “the online environment for Scripture is unsafe or restricted, affecting an estimated 277 million Christians”.

“Everyone deserves access to God’s Word”

The Bible Access initiative is a coalition of various organisations, including Bible League International, Digital Bible Society, Frontlines International, The Voice of the Martyrs and YouVersion.

For Ken Bitgood, founder and CEO of Digital Bible Society, “the annual assessment is more than a picture of the problem but a roadmap for showing where intentional, strategic action is needed”.

“We believe everyone deserves access to God’s Word, and our goal is to equip others to join us in this mission, combining our efforts, resources and energy together to make this a reality”, he concludes.

You can read the full report here.