Stranded on a desert island, one in three Brits would want a Bible to hand, new research has found.

According to a poll undertaken by ComRes, 31 per cent of adults said they would want to be given a Bible if they were about to be left alone in the middle of the ocean – a question that is asked to guests on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

However, more than half of respondents – 56 per cent – said they would not want to be given a Bible. More than one in 10 (13 per cent) weren't sure.

The Bible is believed to be the most widely read book of all time, with estimates of between four and five billion copies ever sold.

In second place is thought to be Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-Tung at around 820 million copies, followed by the Harry Potter series at 400 million copies, according to the Guinness World Records.

The research was commissioned by the Church and Media Network ahead of its 40th conference, which will take place at the Royal Society of the Arts on October 20.

"Despite the claims we live in a secular country, it's encouraging to see that a third of Brits still value the Bible as an important work," said Steve Cox, chair of the Church & Media Network.

"Whether you are a Christian or not, the Bible is an amazing book that gives accounts of life, love and hope. It is wonderfully rich in texture, containing histories, letters, poetry and much more describing the human condition, family, and the wrestling with all that life has thrown at humankind throughout the centuries: triumph, despair, courage, grief, redemption and hope.

"As Christians we also happen to believe that it is not just a piece of literature, but God's Word. I cannot think of a better book to take with me if I were to be stranded on a desert island."

The research also found that the Bible was significantly more popular among older people. Almost one in four (39 per cent) of over-65s wanted to be given a Bible compared to just 18 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

"We realise that over the past 40 years, the landscape of faith and belief in this country has changed," Cox said.

"We know it is no longer expected for people to profess a Christian faith, but our hope is that people would at the very least value the Bible for what it is and consider reading it for themselves rather than mistakenly believing it no longer has any relevance.

"As a network interested in both faith and the media, we would encourage mainstream media outlets and broadcasters to see the importance of communicating the richness of the Bible as a key work in our nation's past, present and future. We would love to see more people acknowledge the wonderful truths the Bible contains."