Spiritual book statistics at a glance
Spiritual books sit at the intersection of reading habits, digital devotion, and organized religious life. The numbers in this dataset show a market that is still heavily print-led, but increasingly shaped by apps, websites, audio, and measured participation across age, faith, and format.
Quick facts
- 34% of U.S. adults say they read religion-focused books (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- 20% say they watch religion-focused videos online, so reading is 14 percentage points more common than religious video watching (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- 37% of U.S. adults ever use apps or websites for at least one spiritual purpose such as reading scripture, praying, meditating, or being grateful (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- Religion book sales at AAP StatShot reporting publishers reached $819.7 million in 2023 (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023)
- Print religious book unit sales rose 12.1% in the first half of 2024 at Circana BookScan reporting outlets (Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024)
- 18% of Americans were scripture engaged in 2024 (American Bible Society 2024 Financial Statements)
- UBS reported 25.9 million digital Bible downloads in 2024 (United Bible Societies / Bible society report)
Contents
- Reading habits and spiritual media
- Age and audience patterns
- Digital tools in daily practice
- Book sales and format mix
- Bible distribution and engagement organizations
- What the numbers suggest
Reading habits and spiritual media
The clearest signal in the data is that spiritual reading still has real reach. A Pew Research Center measure shows that 34% of U.S. adults say they read religion-focused books (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That is a large enough share to support a sustained market for spiritual books, devotionals, study guides, and related nonfiction.
The same source gives a useful media comparison. Only 20% of U.S. adults say they watch religion-focused videos online, meaning reading is 14 percentage points more common than religious video viewing (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That gap matters because it suggests that, for many people, spiritual content is still more book-shaped than video-shaped.
Other media channels are smaller but still meaningful. 25% of U.S. adults listen to religious radio stations, and 15% listen to religion-focused podcasts (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That places audio between print reading and online video, with radio ahead of podcasts in this dataset.
At-a-glance comparison
| Metric | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Read religion-focused books | 34% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Watch religion-focused videos online | 20% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Listen to religious radio stations | 25% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Listen to religion-focused podcasts | 15% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
The table shows a pattern that is easy to miss if you only look at headlines. Spiritual books are not the only format people use, but they remain the strongest single format among the four measured media behaviors in this set.
Age and audience patterns
Age makes a major difference in spiritual book engagement. 42% of U.S. adults ages 65 and older ever read books focused on religion, while 23% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 say the same (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That is a 19-point gap between older and younger adults for ever reading religion-focused books.
The gap is also visible in weekly reading. 23% of Americans ages 65 and older say they read religion-focused books at least weekly, compared with 11% of Americans ages 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). Older adults are therefore about twice as likely as younger adults to report weekly reading in this category.
Some faith groups show especially strong weekly behavior. 24% of U.S. Jews read religion-focused books at least weekly (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). About three-in-ten evangelical Protestants say they read religion-focused books at least weekly, and about three-in-ten Protestants in the historically Black tradition say the same (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life).
At the other end of the spectrum, only about one-in-ten or fewer religiously unaffiliated Americans ever read religion-focused books (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That makes affiliation one of the strongest filters in the dataset.
Audience signals to watch
- Older adults show the strongest overall reading and weekly habits (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- Jews, evangelical Protestants, and Protestants in the historically Black tradition report especially high weekly reading (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- Religiously unaffiliated adults are much less likely to ever read religion-focused books (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
The age pattern is important for publishers and ministries alike. A product aimed at mature readers can lean into steady print reading, while a product aimed at younger adults may need to connect spiritual reading with app-based reminders and lighter, more frequent touchpoints.
Digital tools in daily practice
This dataset does not show a world where print has disappeared. It shows a world where digital tools increasingly support spiritual habits.
21% of U.S. adults use apps or websites as aids or reminders for scripture reading, 14% use them to help or remind them to pray, 18% use them to help or remind them to meditate, and 18% use them to help or remind them to be grateful (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). Altogether, 37% of U.S. adults ever use apps or websites for at least one of those four purposes (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life).
That 37% figure is one of the most useful numbers in the whole set because it shows that spiritual digital behavior is broader than Bible reading alone. People are using tools for scripture, prayer, gratitude, and meditation, which means the content ecosystem extends beyond a single book category.
Daily usage is lower, but still notable. 9% of U.S. adults use an app or website every day to help or remind them to read scripture. 8% do so every day to help or remind them to pray. 8% do so every day to help or remind them to be grateful. 5% do so every day to help or remind them to meditate (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life).
Daily use snapshot
| Daily digital practice | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Read scripture reminder or aid | 9% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Pray reminder or aid | 8% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Be grateful reminder or aid | 8% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
| Meditate reminder or aid | 5% | Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life |
The data also shows how digital spiritual use clusters by community. 47% of Protestants in the historically Black tradition ever use apps or websites for reading scripture, and 59% of adults in that tradition report using apps or websites in at least one of the four spiritual ways listed (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). 39% of evangelical Protestants use apps or websites to help them or remind them to read scripture, and 18% use such apps or sites daily for scripture reading (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life).
Among highly religious Americans, 52% use apps or websites to help them or remind them to read scripture, 29% do that every day, 28% use prayer apps or sites, and 18% use prayer apps or sites every day (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). That is a strong signal that digital spiritual tools are not just occasional conveniences. For highly committed users, they can become part of the daily routine.
Group differences in digital scripture use
- 41% of Black Americans use apps or sites to help them read scripture (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- 25% of Hispanic adults use apps or sites to help them read scripture (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- 18% of Asian adults use apps or sites to help them read scripture (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
- 17% of White adults use apps or sites to help them read scripture (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life)
These figures point to a practical takeaway. If spiritual books are part of a broader routine, the winning format is often not a standalone book versus app choice. It is a layered habit where the book, the reminder, and the daily practice support each other.
Book sales and format mix
The sales numbers show that religion remains a commercially meaningful book category. AAP StatShot reporting publishers brought religion book sales to $819.7 million in 2023, and those sales rose 7.8% year over year (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023). That combination of large size and growth makes the category worth watching, especially because it outperformed the assumption that print-only categories cannot still expand.
Format mix is just as revealing. Hardcover sales represented 60.1% of religion segment sales in 2023 (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023). Trade paperback sales rose 11.1% in 2023, digital audiobook sales rose 8.5%, and e-book sales fell 3.3% (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023). Digital audio accounted for 5.5% of religion book sales, e-books accounted for 6.6%, and digital formats together represented 12.1% of religion segment sales in 2023 (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023).
By early 2024, the category still had momentum. Religion book sales increased 5.2% in the first quarter of 2024, digital audio sales in the religion category rose 9.5%, e-book sales rose 6.6%, total digital sales accounted for 13% of religion book sales, and hardcover sales rose 7.6% (Publishers Weekly, Digital Sales Boost Religion Results in First Quarter). Later in April 2024, religion book sales jumped 38.2%, and sales were up nearly 12% in the first four months of 2024 versus the same period in 2023 (Publishers Weekly, Sales of Religion Books Stay Hot).
The broadest print measure in the set is also positive. Print religious book unit sales rose 12.1% in the first half of 2024 at Circana BookScan reporting outlets, and nonfiction religious titles rose 12.8% while fiction religious titles fell 5% (Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024). That split suggests the category is being driven more by nonfiction spiritual reading than by fiction.
Format and growth summary
| Measure | 2023 or 2024 result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Religion book sales | $819.7 million in 2023 | AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023 |
| Year-over-year sales change | +7.8% in 2023 | AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023 |
| Hardcover share | 60.1% in 2023 | AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023 |
| Digital formats share | 12.1% in 2023 | AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023 |
| Print unit sales change | +12.1% in first half of 2024 | Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024 |
| Nonfiction religious title change | +12.8% in first half of 2024 | Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024 |
| Fiction religious title change | -5% in first half of 2024 | Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024 |
If you are reading the category strictly as a market, the message is straightforward. Religion books are still mostly print and mostly hardcover, but digital audio is growing, e-books are smaller, and nonfiction appears to be doing more of the work than fiction.
Bible distribution and engagement organizations
The broader spiritual book ecosystem is not limited to commercial publishing. It also includes large-scale distribution and engagement organizations that move scripture in print and digital forms.
American Bible Society says it has distributed more than 6.9 billion pieces of scripture worldwide since its founding, partnered with Bible societies in more than 240 countries and territories, and provided over 3.7 million print and digital Bibles worldwide in the past year (American Bible Society 2024 Financial Statements). It also licensed Bible versions and content to over 20.8 million recipients globally in the past year (American Bible Society 2024 Financial Statements).
The engagement side is just as notable. 18% of Americans were scripture engaged in 2024 (American Bible Society 2024 Financial Statements). That single figure gives a useful scale for understanding how many people are actively connected to scripture beyond casual awareness.
Other organizations show the same breadth in different ways. Bible League International reported 52,317,265 people participating in Bible League Bible studies in fiscal 2024, 400,432 people in Church Planter Training, 43,274 people reached through Bible-based literacy, and more than 1 million kids and teens studying God?s Word through Bible League programs in fiscal 2024 (Bible League International 2025 Corporate Annual Report). It also served nearly 195,000 prisoners in fiscal 2024, a 50% increase from 2023 (Bible League International 2025 Corporate Annual Report).
In its donor and distribution summary, Bible League said it trained and equipped 1,000 Bible study leaders every month in 2024, served about 19,300 people every month with first Bibles in 2024, reached 1,414,979 people with God?s Word in India, trained 123,680 local believers to lead in India, planted 1,790 churches in India, and shared 3,582,157 Bibles and study materials in India (Bible League International, Become A Sower).
The global distribution picture is also reinforced by Bible-society reporting. UBS reported 22.5 million complete Bibles in possession worldwide in 2024, 25.9 million digital Bible downloads in 2024, 28.3 billion chapter views in 2024, and 1.3 billion audio plays in 2024 (United Bible Societies / Bible society report). Those are enormous engagement totals, and they underline how spiritual reading now spans print ownership, downloads, views, and audio consumption.
What the numbers suggest
Taken together, the statistics point to a category with three defining traits. First, spiritual books still have broad audience reach, especially among older adults and highly committed religious groups (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). Second, digital behavior is expanding the category rather than replacing it, because reminders, scripture apps, prayer tools, and audio all support recurring use (Pew Research Center, Use of apps and websites in religious life). Third, the commercial and organizational sides both remain active, with major sales totals, rising print units, and large-scale scripture distribution continuing in parallel (AAP Preliminary Report Puts Religion Book Sales Up 7.8% in 2023; Publishers Weekly, Religion Print Sales Up 12% in First Half of 2024; American Bible Society 2024 Financial Statements; Bible League International 2025 Corporate Annual Report; United Bible Societies / Bible society report).
For anyone tracking spiritual book statistics, the main story is not decline. It is segmentation. Some readers still prefer printed books. Some use apps every day. Some combine reading, prayer, gratitude, and meditation. And the dataset shows that those habits are big enough to support both a publishing market and a broad digital devotional ecosystem.