Bible sales have surged to their highest levels since records began as Britain’s Christian revival continues to sweep the nation.
According to data firm NielsenIQ BookData, the numbers of Britons buying Bibles jumped by 19 per cent last year – taking the total to its highest since 1998.
Philip Stone, the head of publisher account management at NielsenIQ BookData, said the surge in popularity for religious texts “highlights sustained demand for escapism and insight”.
According to Christian publisher SPCK Group, bible sales reached £6.3million in Britain last year – more than doubling since 2019.
The publisher’s CEO, Sam Richardson, described the numbers as “evidence of a significant cultural shift” towards religion in Britain.
He said: “As we face worldwide political and social change, including the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global wars, the rise of AI, and a growing mental health crisis, individuals are re-engaging with questions of meaning and spirituality.
“The significant and sustained upward trend in Bible sales suggests that more and more people are investigating the Christian faith themselves and seeking to draw their own conclusions about its truth.”
The impressive sales figures coincide with a growing religiosity among young Britons, as uncovered by a YouGov bi-annual tracker last year.
Bible sales reached £6.3million in Britain last year (file photo)
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It revealed that belief in God among 18 to 24-year-olds has almost tripled in just three-and-a-half years, rising from 16 per cent in August 2021 to 45 per cent in January 2025.
Among 25-49-year-olds, belief has risen more modestly, from 21 per cent to 33 per cent over the same period.
Two separate polls conducted by YouGov in 2018 and 2024 also showed a surge in church attendance, with a 56 per cent increase in adults attending a service at least once a month.
When comparing the data – which excludes weddings, baptisms, and funerals – numbers rose from eight per cent in 2018 to 12 per cent in 2024.
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Two separate polls conducted by YouGov in 2018 and 2024 showed a surge in church attendance
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The drastic change means the total population of monthly churchgoers rose from 3.7 million to 5.8 million people in just six years.
In addition to church attendance, bible reading and confidence in the holy book has also surged.
According to the Bible Society’s Quiet Revival report, 67 per cent of churchgoing Christians read the bible at least once a week outside of Sunday services.
The report’s co-author, Dr Rob Barward-Symmons, suggested the increasing numbers of people attending church could represent a rise in people looking for meaning.
Belief in God among 18 to 24-year-olds has almost tripled in just three-and-a-half years
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He said: “With much of the population struggling with mental health, loneliness and a loss of meaning in life, in particular young people, church appears to be offering an answer.
“We found that churchgoers are more likely than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community than non-churchgoers.
“They are also less likely to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed – particularly young women.”
In the last census, 27.5 million people in Britain reported identifying as Christian in England and Wales – just over 46.2 per cent of the population.
