Over 5.96 billion people now have access to the Full Bible in their languages.
As of the end of 2023, through the collective efforts of Bible Societies and various Bible translation agencies, the full Bible has been made accessible in 743 languages, reaching 5.96 billion people worldwide. Over 70% of these translations were facilitated by the translation teams working with the 155 Bible Societies which are members of the United Bible Societies (UBS) Fellowship.
Only around 60 of the world’s 400 sign languages have some Scripture, and only one has the full Bible. Last year, Bible Societies completed additional Scripture portions in 15 sign languages for 2.5 million people.
In addition to the full Bible, the New Testament is available in 1,682 languages, while 1,261 languages have specific portions of Scripture. Collectively, this means that approximately 7.23 billion people now have access to some form of Scripture in their mother tongue.
However, the work is far from complete, as a substantial 3,710 languages, representing half of the world’s linguistic diversity spoken by 188 million people still lack any form of Scripture. This is why Bible Societies and other translation agencies remain dedicated to their ambitious goal of making Scripture available in every language. The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) is currently working on nine different translation/revision projects in different parts of the country. Out of the over 500 languages in Nigeria, the BSN has only been able to translate the full Bible into 27 languages. It costs a minimum of ₦120m to complete a Bible translation project if achieved in eight years.
The ongoing momentum in Bible translation is attributed to key partnerships with local churches, technological advancements, and steadfast commitment. These factors contribute to the unprecedented progress witnessed in recent years and enhanced quality of translations, bringing us closer to a world where every individual, regardless of their language, can engage with the transformative power of Scripture.