A renewed cultural interest in Scripture is recorded in the just-released 9th and final chapter of the 15th annual State of the Bible report by the American Bible Society (ABS).
Latest findings come from a nationally representative survey for ABS by NORC at the University of Chicago, using their AmeriSpeak panel. It involved 2,656 online interviews with American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with data collected from Jan. 2–21, 2025.
The concluding chapter summarizes significant findings from this year’s data and offers a glimpse into new research scheduled for release in the spring of 2026, according to a Dec. 5 American Bible Society press release.
“This year’s State of the Bible research shows a renewed interest in Scripture in our culture, marked by a notable uptick in Scripture Engagement and Bible Use—driven especially by men and young adults,” said John Farquhar Plake, Chief Innovation Officer at American Bible Society and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series.
“As we look back at 15 years of State of the Bible and forward toward 2026, we’re excited to continue offering resources that tell the story of the Bible’s influence and impact in the lives of Americans.
“Our prayer is that we can equip pastors and church leaders to meet people in their spiritual journey and help them take their next step into deeper engagement with God’s Word.”
The ninth chapter marks a positive shift, ending a three-year decline in Scripture engagement and Bible use across the United States. Scriptural engagement has increased from 18% to 20% of Americans with Bible users, turning to scripture at least three to four times per year, increasing from 38% to 41%.
This resurgence is primarily driven by Millennials with a 9-point rise in Bible Use (to 39%) and a 5-point rise in Scripture Engagement (to 17%).
Men also increased their use of the Bible across every generation, with an overall increase from 34% to 41%.
"Maybe we’re beginning a climb back up to those previous levels. One year doesn’t make a trend, but we do sense stirrings of renewed interest in Scripture throughout our culture—fueled particularly by Millennials and men," stated the report.
Americans also scored better on the Human Flourishing Index, overtaking pre-COVID19 levels from January 2020 in all categories. It showed a link between practising faith and greater personal well-being.
Daily or weekly Bible readers scored highest with a 7.8 — 7.9 score on the index. At the same time, participating in a Bible study group correlated with a high average flourishing score of 7.9.
In comparison to other Western nations, the U.S. showed a higher engagement with the Bible. 51% of Americans find the Bible personally relevant, in comparison to a median of 25% in the cluster. Two in five Americans use the Bible on a monthly basis at least and lead all other nations except in mental and physical health, which has only returned to the 2020 baseline.
Digital devices provide a key means to access the Bible. Two-thirds (66%) of Americans access Scripture using a digital device such as a cellphone or smart tablet. Generation Z (ages 13-28) are very likely to interact with the Bible in video form.
Meanwhile, high church engagement boosts well-being with less stress, less anxiety, less loneliness, and more hope. 64% of practising Christians report a “strong identity,” compared to 40% of nominal Christians, 33% of casual Christians and 33% of “nones.”
Generation Z though scores the lowest on all five questions measuring Church Engagement.
However, the report signals a warning concerning Gen Z men's sense of identity. Gen Z men report the weakest sense of identity (most with "Weak Identity") compared to all other age and gender groups. A weak sense of identity is associated with higher stress, anxiety, and loneliness.
A decline in national pro-social attitudes between 2022 and 2025 is also noted in the percentage of people with pro-social issues, such as welcoming immigrants or advocating for the oppressed, as strongly or very strongly important.
The “Movable Middle,” those with moderate Scripture engagement, scores the lowest on the importance of these issues.
Twice as many Americans (36%) trust that the Bible is "totally accurate in all the principles it presents" compared to those who are skeptical.
Overall, 58% of Americans agree that "the message of the Bible has transformed my life."
Skepticism remains, with 18% of Americans (and half of the religious Nones) believing the Bible was written "to control or manipulate people."
The ninth chapter of State of the Bible: USA 2025 is available to download for free, and the full book can be purchased at StateoftheBible.org.
