By Michaela Gordoni
Many young people are turning to the Bible in 2025 — indicating a huge shift since 2021.
“For the first time since 2021, we’re seeing an increase in both Bible Use and Scripture engagement, particularly among younger adults and in men,” said John Farquhar Plake, PhD, American Bible Society’s Chief Innovation Officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series.
“People are curious about the Bible and Jesus. How will the Church respond? Together we must respond with creativity and innovation,” he said. “Opportunities like this don’t come along every day, so we need to listen carefully and respond to our neighbors with grace, hope, and truth.”
Plake admitted to CBN earlier this month that millennials caught his attention when the press alerted him to an article about a spike in Bible sales.
“One of the things that is interesting is that there’s this undercurrent of a warming toward faith. I think from a lot of angles, from Europe, from the United States, from Canada, from data, and from experience, we’re starting to get a sense that there is something going on,” Plake said.
About 10 million more American adults read the Bible outside of church now, and 29% more millennials read the Bible this year compared to last year. Men’s Bible use increased by 19%. Just a few years ago, men and millennials were least likely to read, the organization revealed in its 15th Annual State of the Bible Report.
Last year, 11% of Gen Z and 12% of Millennials showed active scripture engagement. Now, 15% of Gen Z and 17% of Millennials are actively engaging with scripture.
Slightly over half of Americans say they wish they read the Bible more. One-third of Bible readers read the text only in print, and two-thirds use print and digital. Of those who use digital Bibles, 62% use apps, and the remainder use Bible websites or YouTube. Over half of all Americans say they’re curious about the Bible, Jesus or both of them.
“This is a milestone year for State of the Bible. We are delighted to be celebrating 15 years of seeing how Americans engage with, receive, and are changed by the Word of God,” said Jennifer Holloran, president and CEO of the American Bible Society.
“It’s our prayer that this research continues to be a meaningful, informative, and encouraging resource for pastors, churches and ministries who want to help others on their faith journey,” she said. “We also hope the report will help equip the Church to thoughtfully respond to those who are searching and point people toward Christ and toward Scripture.”
Recent research from Barna indicates that young people’s and men’s belief in Jesus has grown since 2021.
“At this time, we are seeing interest in Jesus that is growing among those who do not otherwise describe themselves as Christians, indicating that many of the new followers of Jesus are not just ‘recycled’ believers,” said Barna CEO David Kinneman. “Along with younger generations coming to Jesus, this is another strong sign that interest in Jesus is brewing in new population segments of society.”
This is all great news. Hopefully, the belief momentum will continue and spread to other generations in the near future.
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