Statistical Summary of Languages 2006
A summary, by geographical area and type of publication, of the number of different languages and dialects in which publication of at least one book of the Bible has been registered as of December 31, 2006
 
Continent or Region
Portions
Testaments
Bibles
Bibles DC
Total
 
Africa
221
312
160
29
693
Asia
221
246
132
28
599
Australia/New Zealand/
Pacific Islands
143
242
38
9
423
Europe
114
37
61
47
212
North America
39
30
7
0
76
Caribbean Islands/Central
America/Mexico/South
America
113
277
30
10
420
Constructed Languages
2
0
1
0
3
 
Total
853
1,144
429
123
2,426
 
 
Notes:          
The UBS Scripture Language Report is based on Scripture translations added in the past calendar year to the collections of the American Bible Society and the British and Foreign Bible Society. It also provides the most up-to-date account available of all the languages and dialects in which the complete Bible, the New Testament and individual books have been published since the Gutenberg Bible, the first to be printed using movable type, appeared in 1455 or 1456.

The Scripture Language Report is not a precise guide to Bible translation or publication activity in the period: rather the publications that have been registered in one of the two official Bible Society deposit libraries.

The statistics do not always permit meaningful year-to-year comparisons because attempts are continuously being made to improve their accuracy. This means that the basis on which they are compiled has varied over time. Although the Scripture Language Report is compiled by UBS, the Scriptures it takes into account are published by many different agencies.