Bible sales have been rising in several major English-language markets since the early 2020s, with the U.S. hitting a multi-decade high in 2025 and the U.K. reporting record sales value in 2025.
U.S. Bible sales hit a 21-year high in 2025 with 19 million units sold (Circana BookScan, as reported by Publishers Weekly).
Longer-run U.S. growth is sizable:9.7M Bibles in 2019 vs 14.2M in 2023 (Circana BookScan figures reported in multiple outlets).
2024 momentum was strong:13.7M Bibles sold in the first 10 months of 2024 (Circana BookScan).
Translation preference varies by channel: among reporting Christian retailers, NLT ~23% of unit sales in 2025, with NIV, KJV, and ESV close behind.
U.K. Bible sales value reached £6.3M in 2025, reported as +134% vs 2019 (SPCK analysis of Nielsen BookScan data, reported by The Guardian).
Global snapshot
All-time copies: estimates suggest the Christian Bible has reached roughly 5–7 billion copies printed/distributed over time (research summarized by Guinness World Records).
Large-scale distribution: The Gideons International reported surpassing 2.5 billion Scriptures placed/distributed worldwide (milestone announced in 2022).
U.S. Bible sales statistics
Publishers Weekly, citing Circana BookScan, reported that 2025 marked a 21-year high for U.S. Bible unit sales at 19 million copies, up 12% compared to 2024. Other reporting around BookScan data also highlights the multi-year climb from 9.7 million units in 2019 to 14.2 million in 2023, and 13.7 million units sold in the first 10 months of 2024.
Bar chart: U.S. Bible unit sales (selected periods, Circana BookScan)
Year/Period
Bar
Units (millions)
2019 (U.S.)
9.7
2023 (U.S.)
14.2
2024 Jan–Oct (U.S.)
13.7
2025 (U.S.)
19.0
Max = 19.0 million units. Widths: 2019 (U.S.) 51.05%, 2023 (U.S.) 74.74%, 2024 Jan–Oct (U.S.) 72.11%, 2025 (U.S.) 100.00%.
Notable short-term spike (2025)
AP reported that 2.4 million Bibles were sold in September 2025 and that Bible sales were up 11% year-to-date (as of September) versus 2024, citing Circana sales tracking.
Translation share at Christian retailers (2025)
In a Publishers Weekly report covering 165 brick-and-mortar Christian retailers (about $72M in revenue), Bible sales rose 5.4% in 2025 at those stores. The same report said customers favored modern-language translations, led by the New Living Translation (NLT) at about 23% of unit sales, followed by NIV (~19.5%), KJV (~18%), and ESV (just over 15%).
Bar chart: Translation share of Bible unit sales at Christian retailers (2025)
Translation
Bar
Unit share (%)
New Living Translation (NLT)
23.0
New International Version (NIV)
19.5
King James Version (KJV)
18.0
English Standard Version (ESV)
15.1
Max = 23.0%. Widths: New Living Translation (NLT) 100.00%, New International Version (NIV) 84.78%, King James Version (KJV) 78.26%, English Standard Version (ESV) 65.65%.
U.K. Bible sales statistics
The Guardian reported that U.K. Bible sales reached £6.3 million in 2025, described as a record high and +134% versus 2019, based on SPCK Group research analyzing Nielsen BookScan data. Publishers Weekly also reported SPCK’s statement that U.K. Bible sales in 2025 were 134% higher than 2008 (the first year the organization tracked the metric).
Bar chart: U.K. Bible sales value (2019 vs 2025)
Year
Bar
Sales value (£m)
2019 (UK)
2.69
2025 (UK)
6.30
Max = £6.30m. Widths: 2019 (UK) 42.70%, 2025 (UK) 100.00%.
How to interpret “Bible sales” numbers
U.S. figures commonly cited in news coverage come from Circana BookScan, which tracks retail sales across many outlets (but not every possible channel).
U.K. figures are often discussed via Nielsen BookScan analyses (e.g., SPCK’s reporting), and may be shown as sales value (revenue) rather than unit counts.
Distribution totals (e.g., Gideons milestones) reflect placed/distributed Scriptures, which is not the same as retail sales.
Sources
Publishers Weekly (Jan 9, 2026) — “Bible Sales Break Records in U.S., U.K.” https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/religion/article/99415-bible-sales-hit-records-in-us-and-uk.html
Publishers Weekly (Feb 11, 2026) — “Christian Retailers Posted Small Sales Gain in 2025” https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/religion/article/99671-christian-retailers-posted-small-sales-gain-in-2025.html
AP News (Nov 24, 2025) — “Bible sales keep growing, even as many Americans lose their religion” https://apnews.com/article/bible-sales-united-states-christianity-8ff396ec9e6caf25179d3b620718991a
Christianity Today (Jan 30, 2025) — “In a Bible Publishing Boom, All Scripture Is Profitable” https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/bible-sales-boom-christian-publishers/
Quartz (Oct 20, 2025) — “Sales of bibles spiked following the murder of Charlie Kirk” https://qz.com/bible-sales-increase-after-charlie-kirk-death
The Guardian (Jan 10, 2026) — UK Bible sales record/high growth report https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/10/its-younger-people-seeking-some-sort-of-spirituality-the-rise-of-uk-bible-sales
Guinness World Records — “Best-selling book” (Bible copies estimate) https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction
The Gideons International (Dec 13, 2022) — “Celebrating 2.5 Billion Seeds Sown” https://gideons.org/blog/2-5-billion
