Video: Bible sales rise in America; Trump says 'religion is coming back'

President Donald Trump announced this week that “religion is coming back” as a new report shows that, as of September, Bible sales were 11% higher for 2025 over last year’s sales.

According to Religion News Service, the increase in Bible sales over the past year included 2.4 million Bibles that were sold in September amid a renewed interest in religion that was sparked by the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was an outspoken Christian. The outlet noted that over 18 million Bibles have been sold so far in 2025.

“Sales for Bibles have been steadily growing in the U.S. since 2021 and have set unprecedented annual sales records since 2022,” Brenna Connor, an analyst at Circana BookScan, told Religion News Service. “2024 marked a 20-year high for Bible sales in the U.S., and 2025 is on track to surpass these levels, underscoring the growing interest in religious content among U.S. consumers.”

In a statement obtained by The Christian Science Monitor, a HarperCollins Christian Publishing spokesperson said, “We are seeing an increase in spiritual curiosity, as well as spiritual deepening.” The spokesperson explained that the renewed interest in spiritual matters comes as “new or first-time buyers driven by concern about current events who are seeking answers to questions they have about life and death, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future.”

Tim Wildsmith, an author and YouTube Bible reviewer, told Religion News Service that the increase in Bible sales could be linked to people searching for “something to kind of settle themselves” or to give them “peace” following the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the ongoing political tension in the United States.

According to Religion News Service, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Vice President Melinda Bouma confirmed that sales have increased for all different kinds of Bibles. Bouma noted that the New International Version Study Bible recently surpassed 10 million copies sold.

The American Bible Society’s State of the Bible USA 2025 report showed that roughly 41% of Americans are considered “Bible users,” a term used to describe individuals who have read the Bible three times or more per year outside of church. According to Religion News Service, the number of American “Bible users” increased from 38% in 2024 but has decreased from 50% in 2021.

On Tuesday, Trump addressed the increased interest in religion in America, saying, “We have more people praying. The churches are coming back. I don’t know if you’ve been reading that story, but religion is coming back to America. Some people say, why would you mention that? To me, that’s a big deal.”

While Bible sales continue to increase, a new Gallup poll shows that the number of Americans who say religion is an important part of their lives has decreased from 66% in 2015 to 49% in 2025, marking a 17% decrease over the past decade.