Languages still waiting for translation to begin
GradeDefinition changed
The waiting list of languages that still need a Bible translation to begin has fallen dramatically. In 1999 it was "more than 5,000". The Wycliffe Global Alliance counted 2,040 languages in 2011, Wycliffe UK 985 in 2024, and on 1 August 2025 the Alliance reported "just 544 of the world's 7,396 living languages remain on the waiting list for Bible translation to begin", spoken by 36.8 million people. Wycliffe UK described the 2024 figure as "a reduction of 270 languages in the past year". For Christians, it shows how close the work has come to a start in every language.
Definition changed: the agencies changed how they count the waiting list twice. In 2016 they adopted "a new method of identifying translation need" (giving "1700-1800"), and in 2018 "improved accuracy in collecting information" added sign languages ("1879 spoken languages and 284 sign languages"), so the figure rose from 1,636 in 2017 to 2,163 in 2018 before falling again. The fall from about 2,000 in 2021 to 544 in 2025 is steep; the agencies are reported to attribute it to new projects, including AI-assisted and oral methods. Across the method changes, the series shows the direction more reliably than the exact pace.
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Because the definition moved, the headline fall from over 5,000 to 544 cannot be read as one smooth series. The figures come from the agencies doing the work and judging which languages still need it. Being removed from the waiting list means only that work has started, not that any Scripture has been translated yet.