By Shayla Papik —
People are devouring the Bible.
In 2025, the United Bible Societies distributed around the world 22.4 million complete Bibles, 10 million New Testaments, 115.9 million Scripture portions and selections — such as individual biblical books, Gospels and smaller selections, UBS reported in April.
Those are just the hardcopies.
Bible Society resources were downloaded 26.4 million times, with Bible chapters viewed 32.2 billion times — a 13.8% increase compared with the previous year. Audio Scripture was played 1.4 billion times.
“These figures demonstrate that people are increasingly engaging with the Bible through mobile devices and digital platforms, while printed Scriptures continue to play a vital role in many parts of the world,” UBS reported.
The figures are striking because they show that a decline in reading is not affecting reading of the Bible. Perhaps the troubling times is causing hearts to search for answers in Scriptures.
Asia continued with strong demand for Scriptures, while Africa grew.
Meanwhile, demand for Bibles declined in the West. That is not bad news because it probably stems from a shift to electronic and online Scriptures.
“North America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania accounted for comparatively smaller volumes, suggesting that Bible engagement strategies in these regions may increasingly rely on digital access rather than print distribution,” UBS reported.
Since its inception in 1946, UBS has disbursed 25 billion Bibles or portions of Bibles in 240 countries and territories.
The figures do not represent other Bible distribution groups, like Gideons. There are many online Bibles that aren’t accounted for in the UBS statistics.
Related content: Revival in Germany, Scotland, France. Sources: Christian Daily, others.
