A renewed curiosity about the Bible is sweeping the US as fresh data from the State of the Bible report reveals significant increases in Scripture engagement, especially among young people and men.
Conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, the study of 2,656 adults found that 41% of American adults now read the Bible at least three times a year outside of church, a rise from 38% the year before — amounting to roughly 10 million more Bible Users.
The most notable shifts came from millennials, whose Bible use jumped 29% between 2024 and 2025, and men, who saw a 19% increase, effectively closing a long-standing gender gap in Bible engagement.
The rise in Scripture engagement in 2025 is mainly being driven by the youngest cohorts, with rates jumping from 11% to 15% for Gen Z and from 12% to 17% for Millennials compared to 2024.
The report also highlighted that 56% of Americans are curious about the Bible or Jesus — a figure that jumps to 82% among the so-called "Movable Middle," those open to spiritual wisdom but not yet deeply committed.
Two-thirds of Bible users now access Scripture digitally, with apps, websites, and YouTube leading the way, pointing to a generational shift in how people engage with faith.
The Chief Innovation Officer for the American Bible Society and Editor-in-chief of the Bible series, John Farquhar, said, “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.
"People are curious about the Bible and Jesus. How will the Church respond? Together we must respond with creativity and innovation. Opportunities like this don’t come along every day, so we need to listen carefully and respond to our neighbours with grace, hope, and truth.”
To support ministry leaders in applying the findings, each State of the Bible chapter this year will be paired with multimedia resources such as a dedicated Church Leader’s Toolkit, the State of the Bible Podcast, and a video series titled Insights from State of the Bible.
Jennifer Holloran, CEO and president of American Bible Society, which compiled the report, remarked, “We are delighted to be celebrating 15 years of seeing how Americans engage with, receive, and are changed by the Word of God.
"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.
"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.”
Across the Atlantic, the Bible Society in the UK has recorded similar trends, with research carried out on behalf of the organisation by YouGov revealing that monthly church attendance rose from 8% in 2018 to 12% in 2024, driven largely by Gen Z.
Among men aged 18 to 24, church attendance more than quintupled — from 4% to over 20% — in just six years. Women in the same age group also saw attendance rise from 4% to 12%.
The report also found that a third of young adults not currently attending church would consider going if encouraged by a friend, and a quarter expressed a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible — again, the highest proportion of any demographic.
This trend is also touching ethnic minority communities, as the report divulges that among regular church attendees in the UK, ethnic minorities represent 20%, with that share nearing 33% for adults aged 18 to 54.
The Church of England has also found cause for hope in recent days, with its official church-finder website, AChurchNearYou.com, seeing page views soar from 128 million in 2023 to nearly 199 million in 2024.
Shares of church events on social media skyrocketed by 268%, and digital calendar saves doubled.
With over 20,000 Easter-related services and events lined up for this week alone, parish churches are increasingly welcoming newcomers who found them online.
Amaris Cole, Head of Digital for the Church of England, said the digital spike is more than a statistic — it reflects a growing desire for connection: “The staggering increase shows the public are more interested than ever in connecting with one of our communities, whether for a service, an event, a family activity or one of the amazing projects our churches run.
“Because everyone is welcome, we’ve prioritised accessibility by adding tags to help visitors find the service for them – whether there is wheelchair access, gluten-free refreshments, British Sign Language translation or dementia friendly. These can be found by using the tags when searching for churches in your area.”
As the CEO and one of the co-authors of the UK’s Bible Society report, Paul Williams and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, stated, these discoveries point towards a spiritual reawakening that defies the long-held narrative of religious decline in the West.
