Adults who read the Bible in the past week, outside of church
Percent of U.S. adults reading the Bible in the past week (in percent)
Key finding
Up 7 points from 1994 to 2004.
- Latest reading (2004): 44%
- Earliest reading (1994): 37%
Source: Barna Group, Religious Activity Increasing in the West · Barna survey; margin of error 3 points at 95% confidence. Article published 2024-01-11.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Up 7 points from 1994 to 2004. Latest reading (2004): 44%. Earliest reading (1994): 37%.
Who published this data?
Barna Group, 2004. Source: Barna Group, Religious Activity Increasing in the West (https://www.barna.com/research/religious-activity-increasing-in-the-west/).
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More Bible & Discipleship statistics
- Americans in the Movable Middle, curious about the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Americans who have not read any of the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Churches with an intentional plan for discipling individuals Lifeway Research, 2026
About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.