A new report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Bible sales have increased by 22% compared to last year.
Book sale tracker Circana BookScan has released data showing Bible sales through the end of October are up 22% compared to 2023 sales.
By the end of October last year, Bible sales were only up 1% from 2022.
Jeff Crosby, who serves as the president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, stated, “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren.”
“It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK,” added Crosby.
Many Bible sales stem from first-time Bible buyers.
“Sales of Bibles Are Booming, Fueled by First-Time Buyers and New Versions” via @WSJ https://t.co/SV5yTd5A6T
— Jon Hartley (@Jon_Hartley_) December 1, 2024
Hallelujah! Bibles are a bright spot in books this year.
Worries about the economy, conflicts abroad and uncertainty over the election pushed readers toward the publication in droves. Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan. By contrast, total U.S. print book sales were up less than 1% in that period.
“People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” said Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.”
Cely Vazquez, a 28-year-old artist and influencer who has appeared on the reality TV show “Love Island USA,” recently bought her first Bible—one from the “She Reads Truth” line—at Barnes & Noble.
“I’ve had Bibles that my mom gave me, but I felt I needed my own to start my own journey, that it symbolized I was starting a walk with God,” she said. “I felt something was missing. It’s a combination of where we are in the world, general anxiety and the sense that meaning and comfort can be found in the Bible.”
In 2019, Bible sales hit 9.7 million, and in the first 10 months of 2024, they have already surpassed 13.7 million, marking a 41% increase.
