Although it may mean having only one book of the Bible or, conversely, a full Bible, there are 2,479 languages which had access to Scripture as at 31 December 2008, according to Bible Society’s worldwide registration figures.

This is an increase over the previous year of 25 languages that now have some portion of Scripture.

This figure includes 451 languages which have a full Bible - 13 more than the previous year – and there are seventeen languages that received a New Testament for the first time in 2008.

Included in the New Testaments that will be registered for the first time this year, is the New Testament in Tokelau. The dedication of this New Testament will take place in May at Porirua near Wellington, where most of the translation work has been done.

According to SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), there are 6,912 known living languages in the world which means that there are still 4,433 languages that have no Scripture whatsoever.

“Bible Society is currently working on more than 650 different translations worldwide,” says Mark Brown, CEO of Bible Society New Zealand, “but clearly there’s still a lot more work yet to be done to bring the Bible to people of all languages and nations.”


4 March 2009

Contacts:    Errol Pike
                  Bible Society New Zealand
                  Phone: 04. 5500843
                  Email:

Or       Stephen Opie
           Bible Society New Zealand
           Phone: 04. 5500837
           Email: