At a Glance

• A national rebound: Weekly Bible reading among U.S. adults has climbed to 42 percent, up 12 points since a 15-year low in 2024.
• Young adults lead the way: Bible reading among Gen Z and Millennials has surged since 2024, with nearly half now engaging Scripture weekly.
• Reading outpaces belief: While more Americans are reading the Bible (the highest rate seen since 2012), a smaller percentage strongly affirms its authority—revealing a gap between curiosity and conviction.

After years of decline, something unexpected is happening: Americans are opening their Bibles again. New Barna data for State of the Church 2025, a joint initiative with Gloo, reveals a surge in weekly Bible reading among U.S. adults—a 12-point uptick since Bible reading bottomed out at a 25-year low in 2024.

A National Rebound in Bible Reading

In 2000, 39 percent of U.S. adults reported reading the Bible weekly—a number that fluctuated for years before falling to 30 percent in 2024. Now, based on interviews with more than 12,000 adults, it has climbed back to 42 percent. Among self-identified Christians, the rate reaches 50 percent—the highest level in over a decade.

“2025 is showing a major rebound of Bible reading, along with a surge in usage among younger generations,” commented David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. This aligns with other signs of spiritual interest and reinforces the finding that Christian faith and practice are experiencing a reset moment.”

This 25-year chart shows generations moving in opposite directions. Boomers, who  consistently held the highest levels of Bible readers—peaking at 49 percent in 2010—now show the lowest levels of weekly Bible reading of all generations at 31 percent. Gen X has held steadier, now rebounding to 41 percent.

Millennials and Gen Z are making big moves toward the Bible. Millennials jumped an unprecedented 16 points, reaching 50 percent—half now say they read the Bible weekly.

Gen Z mirrors this pattern, rising from 30 percent to 49 percent in just one year.

Barna’s 2025 reports show increasing commitments to Jesus and church attendance—primarily fueled by young adults. The spike in Bible reading appears to follow those trends. 

Young Men Lead in Bible Reading

Historically, women have been more likely than men to read Scripture weekly. For example, Boomer women have outpaced Boomer men in Bible reading every year for the last eight years. But 2025 data tells a different story. Younger men are outpacing younger women in engaging Scripture. 

“These findings are unexpected,” Kinnaman observes. “Women generally have been more religiously active than men. But now, younger men emerge as the most frequent Bible readers. Also, there was a bigger post-pandemic bounce in men’s Bible reading than in women’s usage.” The data suggests that younger men—often characterized as disengaged from faith—may be among the catalysts for this renewed interest in Scripture. 

A Tension Remains Between Belief and Practice

While more Americans are reading the Bible, they are less likely to fully endorse the accuracy of its teachings. In 2000, 43 percent strongly agreed that the Bible is totally accurate in the principles it teaches. That number fell below 40 percent in recent years but now sits at 36 percent. Even among self-identified Christians, only 44 percent strongly affirm the Bible’s accuracy.

“Engagement is outpacing conviction,” says Kinnaman. “People are opening the Bible more often, but they’re still wrestling with what they believe about it. That gap between reading and trusting is worth paying attention to.”

A Possible “Reset” Moment

Rather than a sudden revival, Barna researchers describe the current moment as a reset—a return to Bible engagement levels seen about 15 years ago.

“We’re not necessarily witnessing widespread social transformation,” Kinnaman cautions. “But we are seeing Americans move back toward patterns of faith that had been fading. That in itself is hopeful.”

If these trends continue, the implications could be profound. As older, less religious Boomers pull back from faith practice and younger adults grow more engaged, the next generation could carry forward a fresh wave of Christian conviction and curiosity.

What This Means for Church Leaders

For pastors and ministry leaders, the findings offer both encouragement and challenges.

Encouragement: Openness to Scripture is re-emerging, particularly among younger adults. These social patterns are quite unexpected and point to a moment of spiritual opportunity for Christian leaders.

Challenge: Leaders must help translate renewed curiosity into lasting conviction and community.

“We should celebrate the increase of Bible readers in our society,” Kinnaman says. “Then we must commit to help these readers encounter God through the text and integrate what they read into everyday life. That’s where transformation happens.”

This renewed engagement raises a deeper question: What kind of Bible readers are emerging from this moment of renewed curiosity? In the next article on Bible trends, Barna explores the types of Bible readers emerging in this new season of curiosity—from Bible-Minded to Bible-Open to Bible-Disengaged—and what these shifts reveal about faith in America today.