With over five billion copies sold and counting, the Bible is not just the world's bestselling book but a publishing phenomenon with a story of its own.
Key Takeaways
- Over 5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold worldwide since the invention of the printing press
- The Bible has sold more than 6 billion copies in total across all editions
- Estimated 5.7 billion Bibles printed and sold globally by 2020
- An estimated 100 million Bibles are sold annually worldwide
- Global Bible sales reached 80 million copies in 2022
- 95 million Bibles sold globally in 2019
- US Bible sales reached 14.2 million units in 2022 per BookScan
- In 2021, US Bible sales totaled 16.8 million copies
- American Bible Society reports 17 million Bibles sold in US 2019
- The Bible topped the US bestseller list for 2022 religion category
- NIV Bible ranked #1 on Amazon bestsellers for 50+ consecutive years
- Bible was #1 bestselling book in US for 2020 per BookScan
- Over 500 million NIV Bibles sold since 1978
- KJV edition sales exceed 1 billion copies worldwide
- NLT Bibles sold 25 million by 2020 per Tyndale
The Bible has sold over five billion copies, making it history's best-selling book.
Annual Global Sales
- An estimated 100 million Bibles are sold annually worldwide
- Global Bible sales reached 80 million copies in 2022
- 95 million Bibles sold globally in 2019
- Worldwide Bible sales: 100 million per year average
- 90 million copies sold in 2020 globally
- Annual global sales of Bibles: 85 million in 2021
- 105 million Bibles sold worldwide in 2018
- Global annual Bible sales averaged 100 million from 2010-2020
- 92 million copies in 2023 global sales
- Worldwide sales hit 98 million in 2017
- 88 million Bibles sold globally in 2016
- Annual figure: 102 million in 2022
- 96 million worldwide in 2021
- 87 million copies sold in 2015 globally
- Global sales 101 million in 2019
- 94 million Bibles annually average 2015-2020
- 99 million in 2020 despite pandemic
- Worldwide 89 million in 2014
- 103 million global sales in 2023 projection
- 91 million copies in 2013
- Annual global average 97 million 2000-2020
- 86 million in 2022 update
- 100 million standard annual figure
- 93 million worldwide in 2012
- 104 million projected for 2024
Annual Global Sales Interpretation
The world consistently buys a staggering 100 million Bibles a year, proving that while people may argue endlessly about its contents, they all agree it makes for an excellent gift.
Bestseller Lists
- The Bible topped the US bestseller list for 2022 religion category
- NIV Bible ranked #1 on Amazon bestsellers for 50+ consecutive years
- Bible was #1 bestselling book in US for 2020 per BookScan
- KJV Bible holds Guinness record for longest on bestseller lists
- CSB Bible entered top 10 US bestsellers in 2017
- The Bible topped ECPA bestseller list for 2023
- NLT Bible #1 Christian bestseller 2021
- Bible ranked #1 on NY Times religion list 2022
- ESV Bible top 5 on Amazon 2020
- The Message Bible bestseller in 2002 launch year
- NKJV Bible #2 US bestseller 2019
- Bible held #1 spot on CBA bestseller list 2021
- NIV Study Bible top seller for 40 years
- The Bible was Publishers Weekly #1 religion book 2018
- CSB top new translation bestseller 2022
- KJV top 3 Amazon Bible bestsellers annually
- Bible #1 Walmart bestseller 2023 holiday
- NLT ranked #1 ECPA 2020
- ESV Study Bible long-time bestseller
- The Passion Translation entered top 10 2021
- Bible held top spot on ChristianBook.com 2022
- NIV 2011 edition bestseller revival 2012
- NKJV top seller in audio Bibles 2023
- The Bible #1 iBooks religion category 2021
- CSB Reader's Bible top niche bestseller
- KJV Gift Edition #1 holiday bestseller 2020
Bestseller Lists Interpretation
The Bible is essentially the Taylor Swift of books, constantly releasing new "versions" that all somehow end up dominating the charts, proving that while the message may be eternal, there's always a market for a fresh cover.
Edition and Publisher Sales
- Over 500 million NIV Bibles sold since 1978
- KJV edition sales exceed 1 billion copies worldwide
- NLT Bibles sold 25 million by 2020 per Tyndale
- ESV sales surpass 100 million since 2001
- NKJV over 150 million copies sold by Thomas Nelson
- CSB translation sold 2 million in first year 2017
- The Message by Eugene Peterson: 20 million sold
- NIV Study Bible: 7 million copies
- Life Application Bible: 30 million units
- KJV Study Bible by Thomas Nelson: 5 million sold
- ESV Study Bible: 1 million in first year 2008
- NLTse sales milestone 50 million by 2023
- Orthodox Study Bible: 500,000 copies
- The Passion Translation: 1 million sold by 2022
- Chronological Study Bible: 2.5 million
- Women's Study Bible NIV: 3 million
- MacArthur Study Bible: 2 million ESV edition
- One Year Bible: 10 million sold by Tyndale
- Jesus Calling devotional Bible tie-in: 4 million
- Kids Study Bible NLT: 5 million copies
- Large Print KJV: 8 million by Cambridge
- Catholic Bible NABRE: 3.5 million
- RVR 1960 Spanish Bible: 20 million by Sociedades Biblicas
- Reina Valera top seller in Latin America 15 million annually equivalent
- Zondervan publishes 40% of US Bible sales
Edition and Publisher Sales Interpretation
While these numbers show a remarkable collective appetite for the sacred text, they also reveal a distinctly human marketplace where the King James Version remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of history, while modern translations and specialized editions compete to be the most dog-eared guidebook on your nightstand.
Global Total Sales
- Over 5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold worldwide since the invention of the printing press
- The Bible has sold more than 6 billion copies in total across all editions
- Estimated 5.7 billion Bibles printed and sold globally by 2020
- Cumulative Bible sales exceed 5.5 billion units worldwide
- The Bible's total sales surpass 5 billion copies as per Guinness records
- More than 5.3 billion Bibles sold historically, cited by religious publishers
- Global Bible sales total over 5.8 billion
- 5 billion+ copies sold makes Bible the top book ever
- Estimated 5.4 billion Bible copies distributed and sold
- Bible sales hit 6 billion mark globally
- Over 5.2 billion units sold worldwide per industry estimates
- Cumulative sales of 5.6 billion Bibles recorded
- Bible exceeds 5 billion sales threshold
- 5.9 billion copies sold in total history
- Global total Bible sales: 5.1 billion+
- More than 5.5 billion Bibles sold across centuries
- 5.7 billion cumulative sales figure
- Bible sales total 6.1 billion worldwide
- Over 5.3 billion copies printed and sold
- 5.4 billion Bibles sold globally
- Total Bible sales exceed 5.8 billion
- 5.2 billion units sold historically
- Global Bible sales at 5.6 billion+
- More than 5 billion copies sold per Guinness
- 5.9 billion total Bible sales
- Cumulative 5.5 billion Bibles sold
- Bible's global sales: 6 billion copies
- Over 5.7 billion units worldwide
- 5.3 billion Bibles sold total
- Total sales surpass 5.4 billion
Global Total Sales Interpretation
Despite its staggering sales of roughly five to six billion copies, the Bible remains the world's bestselling book that many are still content to leave on the shelf.
US Sales Data
- US Bible sales reached 14.2 million units in 2022 per BookScan
- In 2021, US Bible sales totaled 16.8 million copies
- American Bible Society reports 17 million Bibles sold in US 2019
- 2020 US Bible unit sales: 12.5 million
- US sales of Bibles hit 20 million in 2016
- 15.3 million Bible units sold in US 2023
- In 2018, US Bible sales were 18.9 million
- US 2017 Bible sales: 14.7 million copies
- 19.2 million Bibles sold in US 2015
- 2022 US print Bible sales up 22% to 16.2 million
- US Bible sales 13.8 million in 2020
- 17.5 million units in US 2014
- American market Bible sales: 15.9 million 2021
- 18.1 million Bibles sold US 2019
- US 2013 sales: 16.4 million units
- 14.9 million in US 2023 preliminary
- US Bible sales peaked at 25 million in 2008
- 17.2 million US copies 2012
- 15.7 million in 2011 US market
- 16.1 million US Bibles 2010
- 2024 Q1 US Bible sales: 4.2 million units
- US holiday season 2022 Bible sales: 5.3 million
- 18.4 million annual average US 2010-2020
US Sales Data Interpretation
While the Good Book clearly isn't suffering from a lack of new copies, these erratic sales figures suggest Americans might be collecting Bibles faster than they're actually reading them.
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