Bible Boom: How Gen Z’s search for spirituality is renewing faith in America

As sales of Bibles in the US surge, Dr John Farquhar Plake says there’s a new hunger for spirituality among young people 

On December 1st, The Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Sales of Bibles are booming, fuelled by first-time buyers and new versions”. The article, written by Jeffrey Trachtenberg, highlighted a 22 per cent increase in Bible sales in the U.S. in 2024 compared to the previous year, based on data from NPD BookScan. It also followed a Gen Z social media influencer who shared her first-ever Bible purchase on TikTok. 

Since the article was released, many reporters and analysts have been trying to explain this spike in Bible sales. The Wall Street Journal suggested that concerns about the economy, conflicts overseas, and uncertainty about the upcoming election have led many people to turn to the Bible for comfort. Forbes agreed, noting that the increase in sales is largely driven by first-time buyers, younger consumers, and those curious about spirituality, even if they don’t have strong religious ties. The article also pointed out that Bible sales have been rising since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Even artificial intelligence joined the conversation, mistakenly claiming that 28 per cent of U.S. adults identify as atheists. In reality, that figure is closer to 5 per cent, according to the American Bible Society’s annual State of the Bible study. 

So, why are Bibles flying off the shelves? And what does this trend mean for Christianity in the U.S.?