Bible sales in Britain have surged by a remarkable 87 per cent between 2019 and 2024, according to new figures driven by Gen Z’s renewed spirituality.
Sales have jumped from £2.69 million to £5.02 million over the five-year period.
The data, compiled by SPCK Group using transaction information from Nielsen Book Data, reveals a significant shift in Britain’s reading habits.
Publishers are crediting the increasing spirituality of Generation Z for this dramatic rise in Bible purchases.
Publishers are crediting the increasing spirituality of Generation Z for this dramatic rise in Bible purchases
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While non-fiction book sales have been declining overall, with Nielsen recording a 6 per cent fall from 2023 to 2024, religious books are bucking this trend.
The broader category of “Bibles and liturgy” has increased from £7 million in 2019 to £8.1 million in 2024, up from just £5 million in 2008.
“Spending on religious books in total last year measured £25.2 million, up 3 per cent year-on-year,” a spokeswoman for Nielsen Book Data said.
The data suggests Generation Z is more spiritually inclined than previous generations, with only 13 per cent identifying as atheists.
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This compares to 20 per cent of millennials and 25 per cent of Generation X.
A January survey found that 62 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds described themselves as “very” or “fairly” spiritual.
This contrasts with just 35 per cent of those aged over 65.
The trend comes despite the overall rise in Britons reporting “no religion” in census data.
Sam Richardson, chief executive of SPCK, said the sales figures showed “we are at the centre of a significant cultural shift regarding matters of faith and religion”.
“Atheism, once considered by modern society to be the view of most rational adults, no longer seems to carry the same weight or appeal,” he said.
“Young people Gen Z, in particular are statistically far less likely to identify as atheists than their parents.”
Richardson attributed this shift partly to events like the Covid pandemic and the mental health crisis.
Young people Gen Z, in particular are statistically far less likely to identify as atheists than their parents
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The Bible Society reported that its 2018 volume Good News Bible The Youth Edition was “by far our most popular”, with sales almost doubling since 2021.
This edition includes extra explanations to help readers understand important Bible passages.
It also features infographics and space for writing notes, making it more accessible to younger readers.
The New International version and the Good News Bible are now more popular than the traditional King James Bible.
Mark Woods, of the Bible Society, said some sales came from “young people buying the Bible themselves, or parents buying for their children”.
Others came from “churches buying it for their youth group or their local school”.
“Either way, there’s a very clear increase in demand,” he added.
“This seems to arise from a perception that the Bible has something important to say to young people, and from a desire to make it accessible to them.”
Some of the sales came from “churches buying it for their youth group or their local school” (Stock Image)
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Stephen Evans, chief executive of the National Secular Society, said the figures were “illustrative of the diverse ways in which people in modern Britain derive meaning in their lives”.
He described it as part of “Britain’s constantly evolving religion or belief landscape”.
Evans said his organisation calls for greater separation between religious institutions and the state.
This is “to ensure everyone can pursue their own paths without institutional influence or other people’s conceptions of the good being imposed”.