Bible sales grew in 2025, data shows

Latest book sales data from NielsenIQ BookData suggests Bible sales grew last yr.

Data for 2025 was published by the group ahead of the London Book Fair going down at Olympia London this week.

It found that in 2025 sales of Bibles rose by 19 per cent on the previous yr, reaching £6.3m. This marks a substantial increase on the £3.6m generated by Bible sales in 2019, the Guardian reports.

It compounds the findings of a recent evaluation of NielsenIQ BookData by Christian book publisher SPCK which found that Bible sales within the UK rose by 87 per cent from £2.69m in 2019, to £5.02m in 2024.  

SPCK said this rise may very well be seen across people of all ages but “especially younger readers”, and reflected a “renewed interest” in Scripture.

“This is not just a publishing story: it’s an indication that many are looking for meaning and stability in a changing world,” it said.

Lauren Windle, publishing director at SPCK, said that the sales trend pointed to a hunger in young people for greater than the world can offer. 

“Growing up within the social media age has given Gen Z easy accessibility to so many things that were previously prized and rare,” she said.

“They have the keys to demonstrable popularity in the shape of likes and followers – all they need is a bit algorithm know-how.

“They will be higher looking than any previous generation – with every make-up tutorial and workout at their fingertips. They have all of the convenience, never needing to select up an encyclopedia to seek out answers and even to walk to the chip shop to gather a takeaway. The world sits at the top of their fingertips and yet it’s not enough.”  

Other Nielsen data shows that quiz books are increasingly popular, with sales growing by 24 per cent last yr – the very best since records began in 1998. Adult fiction also enjoyed a five per cent increase in spending. However, non-fiction sales fell to their lowest levels since 2014, to 59 million books last yr.

Philip Stone, head of publisher account management at NeilsenIQ BookData, said that fiction “remained the standout performer, fuelled by strong growth in sci‑fi and fantasy, horror and graphic novels, while children’s and young adult books also saw encouraging gains in key areas”. 

“Non‑fiction faced greater pressure, though the recognition of trivia, quiz books and spiritual titles highlights sustained demand for escapism and insight,” she told the Guardian.

The findings coincide with the National Year of Reading, a UK-wide campaign going down throughout 2026 to encourage more people to make reading a daily a part of their lives. The campaign takes place at a time of concern concerning the demise of reading as scrolling takes over each day life, with a YouGov survey in 2025 finding that 40 per cent of British people had not read a single book within the previous 12 months. 

There has been much discussion about whether more persons are turning to the Bible and Christianity for the reason that publication of Bible Society’s Quiet Revival report nearly a yr ago.

That report found that 12% of adults attended church at the very least once a month, up from just 8% in 2018. Among men aged 18-24, this rose to over a fifth.

These figures were surpassed in one other recent study by A Passion for Life and Whitestone by which 15% of adults said they attend church at the very least once a month, either in person or online, and nearly a 3rd (30%) of young men aged 18 to 24. 

Some churches and church leaders have described seeing more people come to services and events. 

The Church of England said it had seen a surge in interest within the run-up to Christmas, following on from a powerful turnout at Easter. 

An extra poll by Savanta, conducted on behalf of Tearfund, found that 45 per cent of adults in Britain were planning on attending a church event or service last Christmas, up from 40 per cent the previous yr.

Alpha founder, Nicky Gumbel, recently weighed in, saying that “something is going on” after an unexpected number of individuals turned up for services at Holy Trinity Brompton. Incidentally, Alpha last yr revealed that it had seen its most successful yr globally in 2024, with two million people collaborating within the course worldwide – greater than in any previous yr.

The team behind TryPraying, a prayer booklet geared toward non-Christians, recently said that orders for each its adult and teenage versions doubled last yr. 

Yet, the image is mixed, with one other recent survey finding that young people struggle with points of the Bible and the Christian faith, with Jesus apparently being an example of “mansplaining”. 

Church of England attendance, despite successive years of growth, stays below pre-pandemic levels, and churches proceed to shut. 

Some researchers and statisticians have also poured cold water on claims of a ‘Quiet Revival’, most notably Pew Research, but Bible Society – and YouGov, which carried out polling on its behalf – has continued to face by the findings. YouGov recently said the study can be repeated later this yr.