In comparison to 2023, Bible sales increased by 22% during the January through October period, according to Circana BookScan, with first-time purchasers influencing the rise.
As of October, there has been a 41% increase in bible sale copies since 2019, from 9.7 million to more than 13.7 million this year. The overall number has increased every year since 2020.
Some publishers, including Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, attribute the sales numbers to increased anxiety levels influenced by world events.
“People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” Crosby explained in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He went on to say, “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles … and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.”
According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of responders to the 2024 Stress in America Poll stated that the U.S.’s future was a source of significant stress in their lives. The second most common stress was the economy (73%), followed by the 2024 U.S. presidential election (69%).
Observing that first-time Bible purchasers are contributing to the increase, Bethany Martin, the manager of the Faith & Life Bookstore in Newton, Kansas, believes people are searching for hope.
“They’re looking for hope with the world the way it is,” Martin said, “and the Bible is what they’re reaching for.”
Data shows the increase could partially stem from Gen Z’s increase in Scripture reading in comparison to 2023.
American Bible Society’s “State of the Bible USA 2024” report found that 21% of Gen Z reported reading the Bible more often.
John Plake, American Bible Society’s chief program officer, is encouraged by these numbers.
“They’re leaning into the Bible,” Plake stated in an interview with CBN. “They’re really trying to engage in their faith, and they are kind of a bright hope for us as a young generation of American adults.”
In a year of change for the U.S., President-elect Donald Trump promoted Scripture reading when partnering with Lee Greenwood to release a “God Bless the USA Bible,” an edition that was not figured into the Circana BookScan data but which garnered broad media attention.
