UK Bible Sales Reach Record High as Young People Seek to Understand Religion
- Bible sales in the UK reached their highest level on record in 2025, rising by 134% since 2019
- Industry research showed that younger generations, often with no Christian background, were driving this surge in demand
- Experts suggested that social media influencers and a renewed search for spirituality had played a key role in the revival
Industry research revealed that Bible sales in the UK reached their highest level on record in 2025. Figures showed a 134% increase since 2019, with total sales valued at £6.3m – up £3.61m compared to 2019.
According to Guardian UK, the findings were compiled by Christian publisher SPCK Group using Nielsen BookScan data.
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Younger generations driving Bible interest
Aude Pasquier, retail sales director at Church House bookshop near Westminster Abbey, reported that many new readers had no Christian background. “We’ve seen an increase in people coming to the Bible from scratch,” she said.
Pasquier explained that younger people were seeking spirituality and wanted to better understand themselves and the world.
Steve Barnet, owner of St Andrews bookshop in Buckinghamshire, observed a surprising rise in young men visiting his store. He linked the trend to online personalities such as Jordan Peterson.
“Almost out of the blue something’s changed where people are turning to faith,” Barnet said. He noted that Peterson’s influence had led some individuals towards religious texts and even church attendance
The SPCK Group study also highlighted that religion had become one of the fastest growing nonfiction genres. Sales rose by 11% in 2025, compared to 6% growth in 2024. The bestselling Bible translation last year was the English Standard Version published by Crossway.
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Church attendance rising in England and Wales
The Bible Society reported in April 2025 that church attendance in England and Wales had increased by 50% since 2018. The largest growth was among 18- to 24-year-olds, with monthly attendance rising from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2024.
Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK Group, described Christianity as a “counter-cultural” force for younger generations. He explained that while atheism had once been seen as rebellious, many young people were now more open to exploring Christianity.
“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,” Richardson said.
Social media’s role in Bible popularity
Richardson also pointed to social media as a key factor in making Christianity more accessible. He explained that online platforms allowed people to witness others’ spiritual journeys in a personal way, unlike in the past when church attendance was the only option.
The Bible Society report noted that men were more likely than women to attend church, suggesting that younger males were driving much of the renewed interest in Christianity.
Global trends and political context
The surge in Bible sales was not limited to the UK. In the US, sales reached a 21-year high in 2025. However, in the UK, the rise coincided with the emergence of Christian nationalism in political discourse. At a Unite the Kingdom carol service in December, far-right figure Tommy Robinson appeared beneath a banner reading: “Jesus saves.”
Church of England leaders quickly condemned the use of Christian symbols for exclusionary purposes. Richardson stressed that the increase in Bible sales and church attendance predated the rise of Christian nationalist rhetoric.
“It has probably been overplayed as a factor,” he said.
“There’s definitely something going on, but it seems very recent that Christian nationalism has really started to get attention, whereas this increase in Bible sales has been sustained for six or seven years since 2019.”
Jesus' love for poor people
Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian Catholic priest, Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, has strongly condemned recent remarks by Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the founder of Salvation Ministries, who claimed that Jesus never visited a poor man’s house and hates poverty and poor people.
In a post on X, Ugwoke described the statement as erroneous, misleading, and harmful to the Gospel’s true message. He argued that Jesus' ministry was deeply connected to the poor, referencing Luke 4:18, where Christ defined His mission as bringing “good news to the poor.”
The priest stressed that the assertion that Jesus never associated with poor people lacked scriptural backing and distorted biblical teachings.
Source: Legit.ng
