CRETE, Ill. (BP) – More than half a billion Christians live in countries where Bible access is restricted, with more than 125 million believers not being able to access Scripture in any format, according to a collaborative study in its second year.
Even in countries where the Bible is legally allowed and safe to possess, cultural and economic barriers prevent some Christians from reading God’s Word, researchers said Oct. 1 in releasing the findings of the study of 106 countries.
Researchers cited several restrictions variously faced by Christians globally, including legal, political and social restrictions, illiteracy, poverty and lack of internet access or electricity among the barriers to Bible access.
Several partners collaborated in the 2026 Bible Access Initiative in its second year, including Open Doors International, Voice of the Martyrs, YouVersion, Digital Bible Society, Biblica Global Bible Ministry, Frontlines International, OneHope, Close the Bible Gap and others.
“Availability does not necessarily mean access. The Bible in 2026 is available in more translations and formats than ever: printed editions, audio, video, and mobile apps,” researchers said in the report. “That progress is significant and worth celebrating. But for millions of people, having Scripture available does not mean they can obtain or safely use it. The Bible Access List asks that deeper question: for those who want a Bible, can they actually get one?”
Researchers released two lists of countries where Christians are most limited in accessing Scripture, including the Bible Restrictions List of countries where Scripture access is most restricted, and the Bible Shortage List of nations where shortages among Christians are the greatest.
The top 10 on the restrictions list are, ranked from 1-10, are Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Turkmenistan, Libya, Sudan and Iran.
“In Afghanistan, God’s Word is the most dangerous book any Afghan can possess,” researchers wrote, “and discovery can cost them their life. In North Korea, every dimension of Bible access is prohibited. Christians are treated as enemies of the state, and a Bible discovered in a routine house search can mean execution or a life sentence in a forced labor camp.”
Topping the shortage list are, also ranked from 1-10, are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria and India, with more than 10 million Christians in each nation unable to access Scripture; Uganda, Tanzania and China, where 5-10 million are unable to access Scripture; and Indonesia, Angola and Mozambique, where 3-5 million lack access.
More than 107 million Christians reside in the DRC, researchers said, but less than 33 percent of believers own a Bible in the country where access is legal.
“No law restricts access,” according to the report, but “the DRC is among the poorest countries in the world. Only about one in five people have electricity, and poor roads make remote communities difficult to reach in a country the size of Western Europe.”
The report is designed to show churches and other groups where action is needed, its authors wrote.
“An estimated 54 million Bibles are needed in 18 countries where persecution-related restrictions are minimal or absent,” the report reads, “and socioeconomic barriers are the primary obstacle. Elsewhere, the challenges are more complex, but the need is no less urgent. Country by country, the findings provide a clearer roadmap for prayer and action.”
Churches are encouraged to support Bible access by praying, giving financially, sharing digital Scripture tools, supporting Bible distribution projects and advocating for free global access to Scripture.
Findings are based on several data sets, including surveys distributed in seven languages to experts in 100 countries, in-depth interviews with country-specific experts, and onsite visits to select countries to verify data and collect additional information, as well as established resources including the World Christian Database, the World Watch List and World Development Bank indicators.
Access the Bible Access List here.
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