Bible reading dropped dramatically in 2022. It is unclear why. Roughly 50 percent of American adults reported opening Scripture at least three times a year every year from 2011 to 2021, according to American Bible Society surveys. Then, in 2022, that number declined to 39 percent.

That means that amid record inflation, threats of nuclear war in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ongoing debates about the state of democracy, there were about 26 million Americans who stopped reading the Bible.

More than half of Americans say they wish they read the Bible or read it more, however, creating an opportunity for Christians to invite their neighbors to deeper engagement with God’s Word. Younger people, in particular, say they are drawn to Bible reading plans and Bible studies that look at whole chapters or complete stories.

Of the 39% of Bible readers:

27% Read the Bible in print

19% Read the Bible on an app

18% Read the Bible online

11% Listen to the Bible on a podcast