(The Lion) — Nearly 100 million Christians worldwide do not have dependable access to Scripture, according to a new collaborative report by Open Doors International, which assesses global Christian persecution, and the Digital Bible Society, a ministry distributing Bible resources internationally.

Monitoring access to the Bible in 88 countries, the Bible Access List inludes such countries as Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran – 15 in total – with “extreme” restrictions to the Bible.

Another 18 were found to have “severe” restrictions to Scripture, including China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Laos, Mozambique, Kuwait and Qatar.

Additionally, 17 more nations were found to have “considerable” restrictions, including Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Vietnam, India, Jordan and Indonesia.

“While the Bible Access Initiative believes every individual on earth has an inherent right to access God’s Word and to own a copy of the Bible if they so desire, the Bible Access List proves that unfettered access to the Bible is not a universal standard,” said Ken Bitgood, CEO of Digital Bible Society.

Somalia topped the list as the most restrictive nation for Bible access.

“Bible access in Somalia is not just limited; it is outlawed,” Somalia’s profile reads. “Under a strict interpretation of Sharia law, it is illegal to print, import, store, or distribute Bibles.”

Residents in Somalia “face life-threatening consequences for possessing Christian materials, and Bible access is considered unsafe and severely restricted across the country,” the analysis adds.

In nations where Christians face the greatest persecution, “they also face the greatest barriers to accessing God’s Word,” said Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors USA.

“This isn’t coincidence – it’s strategy. Oppressive governments, extremist groups, and local actors such as extended families understand that cutting believers off from Scripture weakens their faith and fractures their communities.”

In addition to ranking countries by how much they restrict Scripture access, the Bible Access List also ranks those countries where Christians want and need Bibles but do not have access to Scripture.

The Democratic Republic of Congo was ranked No. 1 on that list, followed by Nigeria, Ethiopia, India and China as the top five.

Wybo Nicolai, co-creator of the Bible Access List, noted a global famine of God’s Word exists “not due to apathy, but because of barriers that prevent people from accessing the Bible.”

“These barriers differ in form, but the result is the same: millions live cut off from God’s Word,” Nicolai added. “Many have never seen a Bible in their language, format they prefer, or price range they can afford, or have no way to safely obtain one.”

Jaap van Bezooijen, a member of the Bible Access List research team, explained the issue of global Bible access has many facets.

“Real Bible access means reaching people where they are, with the format they can use, at a time they can receive it safely,” he concluded. “While digital tools are part of the solution, they are not the whole solution. For those who are poor, illiterate, offline, or living where digital Bible access is monitored and unsafe, printed and audio Bibles are still essential.”

He said the mission with the Bible Access List “is to provide a clear, reliable global picture so the Church can respond strategically.”