More people than ever have engaged with the Bible on the YouVersion apps in 2023. Every month ranked among the all-time highest months in the apps’ 15-year history for both installs and daily use.
This year the app installs increased by 100 million devices. Daily Bible reading grew by 20% with around 12 million people engaging with the Bible every day of the year. 200 new versions and 100 new languages were added to the apps over the past 12 months.
The most popular Bible verse on the YouVersion app for the third year in a row is Isaiah 41:10:
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Founder and CEO of YouVersion, Bobby Gruenewald, says this demonstrates that people are turning to the Bible for answers about love, peace, hope, healing and anxiety. “Even though there’s a lot of fear and anxiety felt around the world, we believe faith is the answer, and it’s encouraging to see people continue to cling to God and His Word in their greatest moments of need,” he observed.
“Throughout this year, we’ve seen our global community engage with Scripture at impressively high rates. From what we’re seeing, this isn’t just a momentary surge, but something that will last. We anticipate an even greater level of excitement around Bible engagement in the years to come,” Mr. Gruenewald forecast.
“Our vision is to bring God’s Word to everyone, everywhere, every day, and we know we can’t do it alone. More than ever before, we’re seeing the global Church unify around God’s Word, and it’s exciting to think about how many more people will grow closer to God because of the passion and commitment of our partners to work together,” the YouVersion chief rejoiced.
The YouVersion family of apps includes the Bible App, the Bible App Lite, and the Bible App for Kids as well as devotional content in hundreds of versions and languages.
When YouVersion launched in 2008, it began with Bible text available in English and Spanish, creating a community that was largely based in North America. Since then, it’s evolved into a global ministry that’s still experiencing significant growth in daily Bible use in North America while also reaching new people worldwide. More than 80% of YouVersion installs happened outside of the United States in 2023 with India, Africa, and Latin America standing out most. The Bible App has surpassed 3,000 versions in 2,000 languages.
