• Political and religious roadblocks
• Security
• Dense populations
• Large quantity of languages per capita
• Difficult access to language locations

At the same time, it’s these very areas of the world that supply some of the greatest resources for achieving Bible translation. As Wycliffe looks to begin a Bible translation program in every language that needs one by the year 2025, indigenous linguists, translators and literacy workers are not only bringing the Word to their own people, but also to neighboring language groups.

Nigeria is an exceptional example of a country that is giving back the gift it has been given. For every missionary who now enters the country, as many as five Nigerians are going out as missionaries to other fields of service.

*The Pacific Islands area, sometimes called Oceania, encompasses: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, thousands of coral atolls and volcanic islands of the south Pacific Ocean, including the Melanesia and Polynesia groups, and Micronesia—widely scattered group of islands that run along the northern and southern edges of the Equator.

• This 1 billion is approximately 26 percent of the world's adult population.
• Women make up two-thirds of all non-literates.
• 98 percent of all non-literates live in developing countries.
• In the least developed countries, the overall illiteracy rate is 49 percent.
• 52 percent of all non-literates live in India and China.
• Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
• In Sub-Saharan Africa since 1980, primary school enrollment has declined, going from 58 percent to 50 percent.
• In all developing countries, the percentage of children aged 6-11 not attending school is 15 percent. In the least developed countries, it is 45 percent. (UNESCO 1998)

• The average adult literacy rate among that population is an estimated 31 percent.
• The average adult literacy rate in their mother tongue among speakers of lesser-known languages is an estimated 12 percent.
• 26 countries have more than 90 percent of the total national population speaking lesser-known languages. The average literacy rate in these countries is 63 percent.
• 21 countries have less than 1 percent of the total national population speaking lesser-known languages. The average literacy rate in these countries is 93 percent.
• Of the world's non-literate population, an estimated 476 million are speakers of lesser-known languages. In other words, approximately 50 percent of all non-literates are minority language speakers.

There is a correlation between income and illiteracy:

• Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate less than 55 percent averages about $600
• Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate between 55 and 84 percent is $2,400
• Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate between 85 and 95 percent is $3,700
• Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate above 96 percent is $12,600