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Bible Reading Statistics: What the Surveys Show About Scripture Engagement

How many people read the Bible, how often, and what they think of it: the most recent figures from the American Bible Society, Pew Research Center and Gallup, with every number linked to the report it comes from and the year it describes.

By the editors of Weekday GraceUpdated October 202660 statistics, no ads, no sign-up

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

How often Americans read the Bible

Two large surveys ask the question in different ways. Pew asks how often people read scripture outside religious services; the American Bible Society asks how often people read, listen to or pray with the Bible on their own. Their numbers differ for that reason, and both are useful.

How often U.S. adults read scripture outside religious services (Pew, 2023-24)22% at least weekly, 7% once or twice a month, 9% several times a year, 61% seldom or never.22%9%61%
  • Weekly or more 22%
  • Monthly 7%
  • Several times a year 9%
  • Seldom or never 61%
Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, 36,908 U.S. adults. Shares do not add to exactly 100 because of rounding.
  1. 22%

    22% of U.S. adults read scripture outside of religious services at least once a week, 7% once or twice a month, and 9% several times a year.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 10: Prayer and other religious practices (Feb. 26, 2025) [1]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  2. 29%

    29% of U.S. adults read scripture at least monthly.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 10: Prayer and other religious practices (Feb. 26, 2025) [1]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  3. 61%

    61% of U.S. adults seldom or never read scripture outside of religious services.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 10: Prayer and other religious practices (Feb. 26, 2025) [1]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  4. 25%

    25% of U.S. adults were Active Bible Users in 2026 (Bible use on their own at least once a week), and another 13% were Occasional Bible Users.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  5. 9%

    9% of U.S. adults said they use the Bible on their own every day in 2026.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  6. 42%

    42% of U.S. adults said they never use the Bible on their own outside a religious service in 2026.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  7. 13%

    13% of U.S. adults take part at least weekly in prayer groups, Bible or other scripture-study groups, or religious education programs.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 10: Prayer and other religious practices (Feb. 26, 2025) [1]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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Bible Users over time

The American Bible Society counts someone as a Bible User if they read, listen to or pray with the Bible on their own at least three or four times a year outside church. By that measure, about half of American adults were Bible Users until 2021. The share dropped sharply in the 2022 survey and has moved between 38% and 41% since.

Bible Users as a share of U.S. adults, 2019 to 2026American Bible Society, State of the Bible: about half of U.S. adults were Bible Users through 2021, 40% in 2022, 38% in 2024, 41% in 2025 and 38% in 2026.0%20%40%60%49%201948%202050%202140%202239%202338%202441%202538%2026
Bible Users as a share of U.S. adults. 2019–2025 from State of the Bible 2025 (chart values); 2026 from State of the Bible 2026, chapter 1. Each year is a separate national survey.
  1. 38%

    38% of U.S. adults were Bible Users in 2026 (using the Bible on their own at least three or four times a year outside church), down from 41% in 2025 and equal to 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  2. 62%

    62% of U.S. adults were not Bible Users in 2026, meaning they did not use the Bible on their own even three or four times a year.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  3. 110M

    41% of U.S. adults, about 110 million people, were Bible Users in 2025, about 10 million more than in 2024 and the highest total since the 2021 report.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  4. 50→40%

    Bible Users made up nearly half of U.S. adults from 2011 to 2021, then fell from 50% to 40% in the 2022 survey and reached 38% in 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  5. 64%

    The share of U.S. adults who identify as Christian fell from 68% in 2024 to 64% in 2026 in ABS surveys.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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Scripture engagement

Reading frequency is only part of the picture. The American Bible Society also scores how much the Bible shapes people’s choices and relationships, on a 14-question Scripture Engagement Scale, and sorts adults into three groups.

Scripture engagement among U.S. adults, 2026 (American Bible Society)17% Scripture Engaged, 28% Movable Middle, 55% Bible Disengaged.17%28%55%
  • Scripture Engaged 17%
  • Movable Middle 28%
  • Bible Disengaged 55%
American Bible Society, State of the Bible 2026, chapter 1. The groups come from scores on the Scripture Engagement Scale (see What the terms mean, below).
  1. 17%

    17% of U.S. adults (about 47 million) were Scripture Engaged in 2026, the lowest share since ABS began using this model in 2018; the share was 18% in 2024 and 20% in 2025.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  2. 28%

    28% of U.S. adults (about 74 million) were in the ‘Movable Middle’ in 2026, a group ABS describes as curious about the Bible but with limited reading and impact; it grew by about 9 million people since 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  3. 55%

    55% of U.S. adults (about 146 million) were Bible Disengaged in 2026, the lowest category on the Scripture Engagement Scale; the group shrank by about 5 million adults over two years.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  4. 52M

    20% of U.S. adults, more than 52 million people, were Scripture Engaged in 2025, up from 47 million in 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  5. 17%

    17% of U.S. adults say they have read the whole Bible, 48% say they have read about half or more, and 10% say they have read none of it (self-reported).

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  6. 51%

    51% of U.S. adults said in 2025 that they wish they read the Bible more, down slightly from 53% the year before.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  7. 56%

    56% of U.S. adults said in 2025 that they are curious about the Bible and/or Jesus; about half of Gen Z and Millennials said the same.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  8. 7.9

    U.S. adults who use the Bible daily averaged 7.9 on the 0-10 Human Flourishing Index in 2025, compared with 7.1 for those who use it three or four times a year and 7.2 for weekly users.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 3: Human Flourishing [4]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  9. 7.9

    Scripture Engaged U.S. adults averaged 7.9 on the Human Flourishing Index in 2025, compared with 7.0 for the Movable Middle and 6.8 for the Bible Disengaged.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 3: Human Flourishing [4]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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Print, apps and AI

  1. 78%

    78% of U.S. Bible Users read a printed Bible at least once a month in 2026, and 20% do so daily.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 2026Same 2026 ABS wave (2,649 U.S. adults, Jan. 8-27, 2026)

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  2. 62%

    62% of U.S. Bible Users read Bible text digitally at least once a month in 2026, and 18% do so daily.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 2026Same 2026 ABS wave (2,649 U.S. adults, Jan. 8-27, 2026)

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  3. 66%

    66% of U.S. Bible Users said in 2025 that they access the Bible digitally at least some of the time.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 2025Same 2025 ABS wave (2,656 U.S. adults, Jan. 2-21, 2025)

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  4. 62%

    62% of U.S. digital Bible users said in 2025 that they use Bible apps; about 30% use a Bible-based website and 27% use YouTube.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 2025Same 2025 ABS wave (2,656 U.S. adults, Jan. 2-21, 2025)

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  5. 77%

    77% of U.S. adults said they own a Bible in 2025, up from 74% the year before.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  6. 19%

    19% of U.S. adults who use generative AI said they use it to gain biblical insights, including 7% who do so at least weekly; 81% never use it for this.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 3: Artificial Intelligence (June 2026) [5]Data: 2026Same 2026 ABS wave (2,649 U.S. adults, Jan. 8-27, 2026)

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What Americans think of the Bible

Gallup: the Bible as the literal word of God vs. a book of fables, 1976 to 2022The share of U.S. adults calling the Bible the literal word of God fell from 38% in 1976 to 20% in 2022; the share calling it a book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts rose from 13% to 29%.0%10%20%30%40%50%19761984199120012011202220%29%Literal word of GodBook of fables, legends, history and moral precepts
Gallup, telephone surveys of U.S. adults, 1976–2022. The remaining respondents (49% in 2022) chose the middle answer: the Bible is the inspired word of God, but not everything in it should be taken literally.
  1. 20%

    20% of U.S. adults said in 2022 that the Bible is the actual word of God to be taken literally, a record low and half the 40% high points of 1980 and 1984; 49% said it is inspired but not all literal.

    Gallup, Fewer in U.S. Now See Bible as Literal Word of God (July 6, 2022) [6]Data: 2022Gallup telephone interviews, May 2-22, 2022, random sample of 1,007 U.S. adults 18+

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  2. 29%

    29% of U.S. adults said in 2022 that the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man, a new high in Gallup’s trend.

    Gallup, Fewer in U.S. Now See Bible as Literal Word of God (July 6, 2022) [6]Data: 2022Gallup telephone interviews, May 2-22, 2022, random sample of 1,007 U.S. adults 18+

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  3. 44%

    44% of U.S. adults say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives, 19% say somewhat important, and 37% say not too or not at all important.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 7: Importance of religion and the Bible (Feb. 26, 2025) [7]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  4. 64%

    64% of U.S. Christians say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives.

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study database: Christians [8]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 RLS, Christians subsample: unweighted n=23,186, +/-0.9 points (July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024).

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  5. 39%

    In 2014, 39% of U.S. Christians said the Bible is the word of God and should be taken literally, while 18% viewed it as a book written by men, not God.

    Pew Research Center, 5 facts on how Americans view the Bible and other religious texts (Apr. 14, 2017) [9]Data: 2014Pew 2014 Religious Landscape Study (35,071 U.S. adults, telephone)

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  6. 18%

    18% of U.S. adults were sure in 2025 that the Bible was written to control and manipulate people.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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Who reads

  1. 33%

    33% of U.S. Christians read scripture at least once a week, and 46% seldom or never do.

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study database: Christians [8]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 RLS, Christians subsample: unweighted n=23,186, +/-0.9 points (July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024).

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  2. 15%

    15% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 read scripture at least once a week, and 65% seldom or never do.

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study database: 18- to 29-year-olds [10]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 RLS, adults 18-29: unweighted n=3,524, +/-2.2 points (July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024).

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  3. 39%

    39% of U.S. Millennials were Bible Users in 2025, up from 30% in 2024, when they trailed every other generation.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  4. 15 / 17%

    Scripture Engagement among U.S. adults rose from 11% to 15% for Gen Z and from 12% to 17% for Millennials between 2024 and 2025.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  5. 42 / 41%

    In 2025, 42% of U.S. women and 41% of U.S. men were Bible Users, nearly closing a seven-point gap from 2024 (41% vs 34%).

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  6. 24%

    24% of U.S. men were Active Bible Users (weekly or more) in 2026, up from 22% in 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  7. 20%

    20% of U.S. women were Scripture Engaged in 2026, and women were far more likely than men to fall in this group.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026) [2]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  8. 36%

    36% of Black U.S. adults were Scripture Engaged in 2025, up from 27%, about twice the share among White and Hispanic adults (18% each).

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today [3]Data: 20252,656 U.S. adults 18+, fielded Jan. 2-21, 2025

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  9. 42%

    42% of U.S. men ages 18 to 29 said religion is very important to them in 2024-2025, up from 28% in 2022-2023, while young women held at about 30%.

    Gallup, Rise in Young Men’s Religiosity Realigns Gender Gaps (April 16, 2026) [11]Data: 2024-2025Gallup biennial aggregate 2024-2025: importance of religion n=4,015 U.S. adults incl. 295 men aged 18-29 (+/-7 points).

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Church, prayer and belonging

  1. 62%

    62% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians (40% Protestant, 19% Catholic, 3% other Christians).

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study: Executive Summary (Feb. 26, 2025) [12]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  2. 29%

    29% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated (5% atheist, 6% agnostic, 19% ‘nothing in particular’).

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study: Executive Summary (Feb. 26, 2025) [12]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  3. 24%

    24% of U.S. adults reported no religious affiliation in 2025, a new high in Gallup’s trend.

    Gallup, Americans’ Religious Engagement Holds at Lower Levels (March 3, 2026) [13]Data: 2025Gallup monthly telephone surveys in 2025, combined 13,454 U.S. adults 18+

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  4. 44%

    44% of U.S. adults say they pray at least once a day, a share that has held between 44% and 46% since 2021.

    Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study: Executive Summary (Feb. 26, 2025) [12]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  5. 33%

    33% of U.S. adults say they attend religious services in person at least once a month, including 25% who go at least weekly.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 8: Religious attendance and congregational involvement (Feb. 26, 2025) [14]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  6. 40%

    40% of U.S. adults take part in religious services at least monthly in some way, in person, online/TV, or both.

    Pew Research Center, 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 8: Religious attendance and congregational involvement (Feb. 26, 2025) [14]Data: 2023-24Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study: 36,908 U.S. adults, July 17, 2023-March 4, 2024, mostly online and by mail

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  7. 31%

    31% of U.S. adults reported attending religious services weekly or nearly weekly in 2025, while 57% said they seldom or never attend.

    Gallup, Americans’ Religious Engagement Holds at Lower Levels (March 3, 2026) [13]Data: 2025Gallup monthly telephone surveys in 2025, combined 13,454 U.S. adults 18+

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  8. 25%

    25% of U.S. adults said in 2026 that they attend a Christian church service weekly (in person or online) and 9% monthly, both unchanged since 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 5: Church Health (August 2026) [15]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  9. 37%

    37% of U.S. adults said in 2026 that they never attend a Christian church service in person or online, down from 39% in 2024.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 5: Church Health (August 2026) [15]Data: 20262,649 U.S. adults 18+, online and phone, fielded Jan. 8-27, 2026

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  10. 54%

    54% of U.S. men who identify as Christian do not attend church even monthly, and about 1 in 5 say they never attend.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 5: Church Health (August 2026) [15]Data: 2026Same 2026 ABS wave (2,649 U.S. adults, Jan. 8-27, 2026)

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  11. 42%

    42% of self-identified Christians in Gen Z (adults) attended church at least monthly in 2026, down from 46% in 2024; Gen Z was the only generation to decline.

    American Bible Society, State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 5: Church Health (August 2026) [15]Data: 2026Same 2026 ABS wave (2,649 U.S. adults, Jan. 8-27, 2026)

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  12. 47%

    47% of U.S. adults belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque in 2020, the first time below 50% in Gallup’s trend, down from 70% in 1999 and 73% in 1937.

    Gallup, U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time (March 29, 2021) [16]Data: 2020Gallup telephone interviews 2018-2020 aggregate, 6,117 U.S. adults

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  13. 45%

    45% of U.S. adults answered yes in 2025 when Gallup asked if they are a member of a church or synagogue (48% in 2024).

    Gallup, Religion (Gallup historical trends): ‘Do you happen to be a member of a church or synagogue?’ table [17]Data: 2025Gallup Poll Social Series annual telephone surveys of U.S. adults

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  14. 47%

    47% of U.S. adults said in 2025 that religion is very important in their lives, down from 58% in 2012 and 70% to 75% in the 1950s and 1960s.

    Gallup, Americans’ Religious Engagement Holds at Lower Levels (March 3, 2026) [13]Data: 2025Gallup telephone interviews May 1-18 and Dec. 1-15, 2025, 2,019 U.S. adults 18+

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The Bible around the world

Two organizations publish Bible translation counts, and their figures differ a little because they are taken on different dates. Both are shown.

  1. 795

    As of January 1, 2026, 795 languages had a full Bible, available to about 6.2 billion people; 1,815 languages had a New Testament and 1,511 had portions only.

    United Bible Societies, Translation Statistics Report 2025 [18]Data: 2026UBS translation statistics as of January 1, 2026 (global, all languages).

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  2. 123M

    As of January 1, 2026, about 123 million people had no Scripture in their language, and about 1.5 billion did not have the full Bible in their language.

    United Bible Societies, Translation Statistics Report 2025 [18]Data: 2026UBS translation statistics as of January 1, 2026 (global, all languages).

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  3. 812

    As of October 2026, 812 languages had a full Bible, 1,863 a New Testament, and 1,515 portions of Scripture, while 3,204 of 7,394 languages had no Scripture yet.

    Wycliffe Bible Translators UK (data: ProgressBible), Latest Bible translation statistics (updated October 5, 2026; ProgressBible Snapshot, October 2026) [19]Data: 2026ProgressBible Snapshot, October 2026 (global, all languages)

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  4. 544

    As of August 1, 2025, 544 of the world’s 7,396 living languages, spoken by 36.8 million people, were still waiting for Bible translation to begin, down from 985 a year earlier.

    Wycliffe Global Alliance (data: ProgressBible), 2025 Global Scripture Access [20]Data: 2025ProgressBible Snapshot, as of August 1, 2025 (global, all languages).

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What the terms mean

Bible User
Someone who reads, listens to or prays with the Bible on their own at least three or four times a year, outside a church service or event (American Bible Society). Active Bible Users do so at least weekly; Occasional Bible Users, three or four times a year or monthly.
Scripture Engaged
A score of 100 or more on the American Bible Society’s Scripture Engagement Scale, built from 14 questions about how often people use the Bible and how much its message shapes their lives. The Movable Middle scores 70 to 99; the Bible Disengaged score below 70.
Read scripture
Pew’s question asks how often people read scripture outside of religious services. It counts reading only, and any tradition’s scripture, so it is not the same measure as the Bible Society’s.
Human Flourishing Index
A 0 to 10 measure of well-being developed at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, used in the State of the Bible reports.

Why the surveys don’t agree

Pew’s 2023-24 study was done mostly online and by mail, while its 2007 and 2014 studies were by telephone, so Pew warns against comparing the new reading and attendance figures with the old ones. Gallup’s figures come from telephone polls. The Bible Society’s surveys use NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel, online and by phone, with about 2,650 adults in each of the last two years. Different questions, methods and years explain most of the gaps between them; none of them is wrong.

For pastors, teachers and librarians

How to cite this page

Use these numbers in a sermon, a newsletter, a lesson or a research guide. Please cite the original survey for any figure you quote (each one links to it), and link here if this page helped you find it. Each statistic has its own link: use the # beside it.

Chicago
Weekday Grace. “Bible Reading Statistics: What the Surveys Show About Scripture Engagement.” Weekday Grace. Last modified October 10, 2026. https://weekdaygrace.com/bible-reading-statistics/.
MLA
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APA
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Link
<a href=”https://weekdaygrace.com/bible-reading-statistics/“>Bible Reading Statistics</a> (Weekday Grace)
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For pastors, teachers and librarians

  • In a sermon or newsletter: quote the survey and year, for example “Pew Research Center, 2023-24.” Numbers from different surveys measure different things, so compare like with like.
  • In a class or small group: the definitions above make a good discussion starter: what counts as reading the Bible?
  • To help people start reading: our free Bible reading plans, the reading plan generator and how to read a verse in context guide are written for every tradition.
  • Corrections: when a new report changes a number, we update this page and note the date below. Tell us through the about page.

Method. We used only the organizations that published the surveys: the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible reports (2025 and 2026 editions), Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, Gallup, the United Bible Societies and Wycliffe’s ProgressBible data. For every figure we saved the exact sentence or table row it came from, then re-opened every source and re-read every number before publishing. Each statistic names the population it describes (all U.S. adults, Christians, Bible Users and so on) and the year the survey was taken. We have not adjusted or combined any numbers. The 2019–2025 Bible User figures in the first chart are read from the 2025 report’s chart.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Last updated October 10, 2026.

Sources

  1. Pew Research Center. 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 10: Prayer and other religious practices (Feb. 26, 2025)
  2. American Bible Society. State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today (April 2026)
  3. American Bible Society. State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 1: The Bible in America Today
  4. American Bible Society. State of the Bible: USA 2025, Chapter 3: Human Flourishing
  5. American Bible Society. State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 3: Artificial Intelligence (June 2026)
  6. Gallup. Fewer in U.S. Now See Bible as Literal Word of God (July 6, 2022)
  7. Pew Research Center. 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 7: Importance of religion and the Bible (Feb. 26, 2025)
  8. Pew Research Center. Religious Landscape Study database: Christians
  9. Pew Research Center. 5 facts on how Americans view the Bible and other religious texts (Apr. 14, 2017)
  10. Pew Research Center. Religious Landscape Study database: 18- to 29-year-olds
  11. Gallup. Rise in Young Men's Religiosity Realigns Gender Gaps (April 16, 2026)
  12. Pew Research Center. Religious Landscape Study: Executive Summary (Feb. 26, 2025)
  13. Gallup. Americans' Religious Engagement Holds at Lower Levels (March 3, 2026)
  14. Pew Research Center. 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, ch. 8: Religious attendance and congregational involvement (Feb. 26, 2025)
  15. American Bible Society. State of the Bible: USA 2026, Chapter 5: Church Health (August 2026)
  16. Gallup. U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time (March 29, 2021)
  17. Gallup. Religion (Gallup historical trends): 'Do you happen to be a member of a church or synagogue?' table
  18. United Bible Societies. Translation Statistics Report 2025
  19. Wycliffe Bible Translators UK (data: ProgressBible). Latest Bible translation statistics (updated October 5, 2026; ProgressBible Snapshot, October 2026)
  20. Wycliffe Global Alliance (data: ProgressBible). 2025 Global Scripture Access

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