Bible Access Initiative: Over 500 million Christians restricted from accessing the Bible

More than 500 million Christians live in countries where access to the Bible is restricted, according to a study by the Bible Access Initiative. The research indicates that over 125 million of these people cannot access the Bible in any form due to religious, political, economic, and educational barriers.

The Bible Access Initiative, a collaborative program between several Christian organizations, identified several primary obstacles to accessing scripture, including persecution, poverty, illiteracy, political restrictions, and a lack of internet connectivity. The study notes that difficulties arise not only from bans or controls but also from living conditions and the ability of believers to receive the text.

The study produced two separate lists based on its findings. The first list identifies the ten countries with the most severe restrictions on Bible access: Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Triều Tiên, Eritrea, Mauritania, Turkmenistan, Libya, Sudan, and Iran. The second list identifies the ten countries with the greatest shortage of Bibles: Cộng hòa Dân chủ Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ấn Độ, Uganda, Tanzania, Trung Quốc, Indonesia, Angola, and Mozambique.