Bible Sales Hit 20-Year High Despite Religious Decline
Americans may have lost faith in organized religion, but they still love the Good Book.
Bible sales were up 11% last year compared to 2024. That includes 2.4 million sold in September 2025, a surge that coincided with the death of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk. More than 18 million Bibles were sold in 2025.
"Sales for Bibles have been steadily growing in the U.S. since 2021 and have set unprecedented annual sales records since 2022," Brenna Connor, an industry analyst at Circana BookScan, said last year. "2024 marked a 20-year high for Bible sales in the U.S., and 2025 is on track to surpass these levels."
What's Selling
Bestsellers include an economy version of the English Standard Bible, the Adventure Bible for kids, the She Reads Truth Bible, and a pink giant-print King James Version gift Bible.
Donald Trump earned more than $1.3 million last year for endorsing a patriotic Bible named for Lee Greenwood's song "God Bless the USA."
Trump made over a million dollars putting his name on a Bible. Yes, that happened.
Why People Are Buying
Publishers can track how many Bibles are sold but don't have demographic details. Tim Wildsmith, a former college campus minister turned Bible YouTuber, wonders if the tumult of the last five years is playing a role (think COVID pandemic. Political polarization. Inflation. The world essentially going crazy.) He said,
Part of me wonders if people are just looking for something to kind of settle themselves — that spiritual looking for peace, whatever you want to call it.
At Christian Connection bookstore in Sycamore, Illinois, owner Kelli Malm has seen an uptick in sales since last September. At least one buyer said Kirk's death prompted them to go back to church. While most buyers are older, she's seen more customers in their 30s and 40s.
"They've just found their faith, or they're coming back to it," she said.
Colton Burkhart, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is on his third Bible. He tried reading on his phone but found it too distracting.
"I need something I can really read," he said. He likes to write notes in his Bible and highlight verses.
Publishers Are Keeping Up
Amy Simpson, Bible publisher for Tyndale House Publishers, said the company sells several hundred different editions of Bibles. No one kind is driving growth. They're seeing growth across the board.
Melinda Bouma at HarperCollins Christian Publishing said Bible sales are up for all kinds—including kids' Bibles. The NIV Study Bible recently passed 10 million copies sold. The Jesus Bible, aimed at Gen Z readers, is doing well.
The Numbers on Who Actually Reads Them
The American Bible Society's report found about 41% of Americans qualify as "Bible users"—meaning they've read the Bible at least three times a year outside of church. That's up from 38% last year but down from 2021, when 50% fit that category.
Thirty-six percent of Gen Z and 39% of millennials qualify as Bible users, an increase since 2024.
Only one in five Americans would qualify as "Scripture engaged," meaning the Bible has a major role in their lives.
The Irony
Despite the boom in Bible sales, a recent Gallup survey found less than half of Americans—49%—say religion is important to their lives. This is part of a continued documented decline in religiosity.
So, Bible sales are hitting 20-year highs. But less than half of Americans say religion matters to them.
People are buying Bibles but not going to church. Reading Scripture but losing faith in organized religion. The numbers don't match up.
The YouTube Bible Reviewer
Wildsmith started reviewing Bibles on YouTube in 2020 during COVID. His first review got more than 18,000 views. He now has more than a quarter-million followers and wrote a guide called "Bible Translations for Everyone."
The Bible boom changed his life. "If you had told me five years ago that this would actually be a job, I would have thought you were crazy," he said. "But here we are."
What This Actually Means
Bible sales are at a 20-year high. More than 18 million sold last year. Publishers offer hundreds of editions. Trump made over a million endorsing one. A Bible YouTuber has a quarter-million followers. Gen Z and millennials are buying more than they were a few years ago.
But less than half of Americans say religion is important. Church attendance keeps declining. Only one in five are "Scripture engaged."
People are buying Bibles at record rates while simultaneously losing faith in organized religion. This can only mean they want the Word, but they don't want the institution that has been created around it.
COVID might've started it. Political polarization might be driving it. Perhaps people are looking for peace amidst the chaos. Something to settle themselves when the world feels crazy.
Whatever the reason, Americans are buying Bibles like never before. Just not necessarily reading them in church.
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