Something historic is happening in our lifetime:

• Ours is the first generation to see the needs of Bible translation drop.

• The needs are dropping at a rapid rate and unprecedented pace.

• It is possible that within the next 15 years, the final Bible translation needed will be started.

There are almost 6900 living languages in the world.

• About a third of these languages have their needs for Scripture met;

• Another third are in active translation;

• The final one-third have not one word of Scripture in their language.

There are 340 million people represented in the approximately 2,000 language communities that have no access to Scripture in a language and form they relate to best.

In the 1990’s, on average 19 new Bible translation were started per year. At that rate, with 3000 languages identified with need, it would have taken 150+ years -- seven generations to start the last translation.

In the last decade, nearly 900 translations were started, for an average of 84 per year.

Now a new Bible translation program is started in the world -- one every 4 ½ days.

Wycliffe is actively involved in ¾ of the known Scripture translations, affecting 2.6 billion people.

About half of the languages still needing translation has 10,000 or fewer speakers in each. Of these, about half of them have fewer than 1,000 speakers—there are small, isolated, and often marginalized communities.

Last year, 174 languages dropped from the list of Bible translation needs due to new translation starts, better surveying of need, and the death of languages.

Of the remaining translation needs:

• 40% of the languages are in sub-Saharan Africa;

• 33% are in Northeast India/South West China;

• 20% are in PNG, Indonesia and the Pacific archipelago.