YouVersion reports Verse of the Year and Ukrainian movement
World’s most-downloaded Bible app releases 2022 data trends
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 28, 2022)—Each year, YouVersion dives into the top data trends to highlight how God is moving through the app, and for 2022, Ukraine is one of the Bible app’s most interesting Bible engagement stories. As Ukrainian people fled the war and relocated to different European countries, YouVersion saw Ukrainian-language Bible engagement skyrocket in several of those countries, many by triple digits. For example, Ukrainian Bible engagement has increased in Poland by 241% and in Germany by 733% when comparing third-quarter data from 2021 and 2022. While Bible engagement in Ukraine rose by 55% this year, Ukrainian-language Bible engagement across Europe was even more significant with a 76% increase when comparing year-over-year third-quarter data.
At the beginning of the war, YouVersion searches in the Ukrainian language nearly doubled compared to the previous month. Initially, trending search terms were words like “war,” “fear,” and “anxiety.” As time passed and the war progressed, the top search term in Ukrainian became “love.“
“These families are going through something most of us can’t imagine. In the middle of what’s likely the most difficult time of their lives, they’re turning to the Bible for comfort, peace, and hope,” said Bobby Gruenewald, Founder and CEO of YouVersion. “It’s an honor that we get to be a part of making God’s Word available to His people in their greatest moments of need.”
YouVersion’s 2022 Verse of the Year
This year, the verse that people in Ukraine engaged with most is also the same verse that the global YouVersion Community shared, bookmarked, and highlighted most. Earning the top spot as YouVersion’s 2022 Verse of the Year is:
Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
“The popularity of this verse speaks to our desire to be reminded that even when we feel like we’re alone in our struggles, we’re not,” said Gruenewald. “As this verse says, God is our strength and He’s always with us.”
Global Engagement Trends
With more than 545 million unique installs worldwide, YouVersion has seen Bible engagement activity in nearly every country and territory since launching in 2008. This year, Cuba stands out as the country with the greatest increase in Bible engagement, with an increase of 76% compared to 2021. Meanwhile, the fastest regional growth for Bible engagement is in Europe and Africa.
Some of this year’s most popular YouVersion features in Europe and Africa include:
- People across both continents are sharing verses at a higher rate than last year with significant increases in Bulgaria (31%), Poland (38%), Uganda (53%), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (53%).
- Belgium has seen a 38% increase in audio Bible usage compared to last year and a 46% spike in verses highlighted.
- In both Nigeria and France, searches in YouVersion are up this year compared to last year with a 41% and 65% increase, respectively.
Compared to last year, more of the YouVersion Community has engaged with the Bible on a daily basis this year. In fact, when measuring the app’s highest Bible engagement days of all time, eight of the top 10 days were this year, with September 11, 2022 and Easter Sunday holding the top spots. As people around the world engaged with the Bible, the YouVersion Community:
- Opened the app 5.5 billion times
- Created 2.3 billion Highlights, Bookmarks, and Notes
- Shared 550 million Bible verses
- Completed 303 million in-app searches
For more information about Bible engagement trends in 2022, visit youversion.com/press.
About YouVersion
Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs biblically-centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. The YouVersion Bible App offers a free Bible experience in more than 1,900 languages and has been installed on more than 545 million unique devices. Bible App for Kids, which was developed in partnership with OneHope in 2013, helps children engage with the stories of the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities. It has been installed on more than 90 million unique devices. For more information about YouVersion, visit youversion.com.