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YouVersion, creator of the world’s most popular Bible App, hit new records throughout Holy Week, with an average of 18.7 million people engaging with the Bible each day through its Family of Apps. On Easter Sunday, Bible engagement surged to more than 21.6 million people, a new record for the holiday and the most engaged day in YouVersion history. Building on the momentum of one billion installs across the YouVersion Family of Apps last year, all 10 of the highest days for Bible engagement in YouVersion's history have happened so far in 2026.
Across the globe, Bible engagement during Holy Week grew by 15% compared to last year. Every region of the world saw significant increases, including Sub-Saharan Africa with 37% year-over-year growth and Latin America up 22%, representing millions of people engaging with God's Word in each region.
In several African countries, Easter Sunday was the number one day for Bible engagement, including in Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Specifically in South Africa, all the top 10 days for Bible engagement happened in 2026, with Good Friday ranking as the number one day.
Easter is one of the most significant events on the Christian calendar, and many people, whether lifelong Christians or simply curious about the Easter story, engage with Scripture more deeply during Lent and Holy Week. Certain verses stand out each year as the most popular during the Easter holiday season. Last year, John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”, was the most popular verse across South Africa during Holy Week. In 2026, the top verse was Matthew 28:6, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Nqobile Ngcobo, YouVersion’s South Africa Hub Leader says
“Interest in the Bible in South Africa has been growing in recent months, reflecting trends we’re seeing worldwide. It’s encouraging to see South Africans seeking out Scripture for answers, wisdom and encouragement. At Easter, this is especially noticeable as people reflect on their own faith and turn to the Bible to try to understand who Jesus was for themselves. To see South Africans, both committed believers and those new to Christianity, engage with the Bible is really exciting.”
The Bible App provides access to the Bible in more than 2,400 different languages and more than 3,750 translations, plus video content and Bible Plans offered in partnership with ministries all over the globe. YouVersion is powered by tens of thousands of partners around the world, and this Holy Week, featured video content from The Chosen, BibleProject, and Museum of the Bible brought the Easter story to life for millions of people in the Bible App.
YouVersion Founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald says:“Historically, Easter is one of the highest days for engagement each year. It’s encouraging to see interest and engagement in God’s Word increase every year, especially around Easter when we remember Jesus’ sacrifice and love for the world. For anyone who isn’t already engaging with the Bible daily, there’s no better time to start than today.”
AboutYouVersion
Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs free, biblically centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. The YouVersion Family of Apps—including the Bible App, Bible App Lite, and Bible App for Kids—has been installed on more than one billion devices worldwide. The Bible App offers a Bible experience in more than 2,400 languages and helps people deepen their relationship with God. Bible App Lite is optimized for offline use and helps people access God’s Word in markets with device and data limitations. Bible engagement is measured by Daily Active Users (DAU) across these three apps, an industry-standard data point reflecting the number of unique users opening one of the apps on a given day. Developed in partnership with OneHope, the Bible App for Kids helps children engage with the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities. For more information about YouVersion, visit youversion.com/our-mission.
