Surge in Bible Sales Reported

Sales of Bibles have seen a significant boost in the past year, according to the New York Times (NYT).

The NYT noted that Bible sales are projected to rise by about 12% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This report follows a 22% increase in sales throughout 2024, which persisted through October. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) provided additional insights as well.

Moreover, the NYT detailed that total print sales from 2025 to mid-December are estimated to reach around 707 million copies, which is just 3 million fewer than the peak during the pandemic in 2021, and 57 million more than in 2019.

Dominic Racca, a publisher at Sourcebooks, conveyed to the NYT that the publishing industry is undergoing a transformation, which can be quite challenging.

Additionally, the NYT reports that romance book sales are expected to continue their upward trend in 2025, having already increased about 5% this year, according to BookScan data.

WSJ highlighted an interesting pattern: following the tragic death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10th, Bible sales in the U.S. surged. In September alone, 2.4 million Bibles were sold, marking a 36% rise compared to the same month in 2024.

Looking ahead, the NYT stated that 422 new bookstores are anticipated to join the American Booksellers Association (ABA) in 2025, nearly 100 more than last year. Notably, Barnes & Noble plans to open 55 additional stores across the U.S., while Books-A-Million is set to add 18 stores.

The NYT also mentioned that Books-A-Million had only opened seven new stores in the United States in 2024.

ABA CEO Alison Hill remarked on this shift, expressing excitement over the alignment of shopping habits with personal values. She suggested that this might be a response to the challenges faced in 2025 and a pushback against larger corporate influences, noting that independent bookstores could serve as a remedy in these turbulent times.