New Report Finds 500 Million Christians Worldwide Face Restrictions on Bible Access
A report released in October 2026 estimates that roughly 500 million Christians around the world live in countries where access to the Bible is restricted or banned. The findings come from a coalition of Bible distribution organizations tracking legal and social barriers to scripture access.
About 500 million Christians worldwide live in countries where access to the Bible is restricted or outright banned, according to a report released in October 2026.
The report was compiled by a coalition of Bible distribution organizations, including the United Bible Societies and Open Doors International. Researchers tracked legal prohibitions, government confiscations, and social pressure that limits scripture access in more than 50 countries.
North Korea, Eritrea, and several Central Asian nations ranked among the most restrictive. In those countries, possessing a Bible can result in imprisonment or forced labor. China has tightened controls on online Bible sales and restricted imports of printed scriptures since 2018.
The report also flagged countries where social and cultural pressure, rather than law, limits access. In parts of the Middle East and South Asia, Christians face family and community retaliation for owning or distributing religious texts.
Bible societies say they distributed more than 30 million Bibles and New Testaments in restricted regions in 2025, often through underground networks. Digital distribution via encrypted apps has grown significantly in recent years.
The American Bible Society called the findings "a sobering reminder that religious freedom remains fragile for hundreds of millions of people." The organization is calling on the U.S. government to prioritize Bible access in its international religious freedom reporting.
The report comes as the State Department prepares its annual International Religious Freedom Report, due later this year.
