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. In Kenya, Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, ranks as the top day for Bible engagement, while Easter Sunday ranks second.
Bible App Lite, the YouVersion app designed for offline use, has also been ranked multiple times this year as the number one most downloaded app in several African countries. Most notably, it was number one in nine African countries on Easter Sunday, including Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting a surge in engagement across the region.
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 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”, was the most popular verse in Kenya 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.”
Joseph Gachira, YouVersion’s Kenya Hub Leader said: “We’ve seen steady growth in interest across Kenya, and the engagement we saw over Easter is a reflection of the trend that we’re witnessing globally. This is particularly significant at Easter, when both committed Christians and those simply wanting to understand the Easter story may be engaging with the Bible to find encouragement, guidance and answers. Seeing so many Kenyans turn to Scripture is a great reminder of why we do what we do”.
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.”
