A 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey found that 38% of U.S. adults read the Bible at least occasionally. Another 44% said they never read the Bible. The reading gap also tracks with weaker recall and lower confidence in understanding Scripture.
Key Takeaways
- The 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey found that 38% of U.S. adults read the Bible at least occasionally (weekly, monthly, or a few times a year)
- In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 18% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible weekly
- In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 20% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible monthly
- In a Barna survey reported by The Washington Post, only 33% of Americans could name the first four books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers)
- In the Barna survey described by The Washington Post, 26% of Americans could name the Ten Commandments
- In the same Barna survey reported by The Washington Post, 37% of Americans could identify Jonah as a book of the Bible
- In the Pew Research Center 2017 Religious Landscape Study (linked tables), 31% of Americans say the Bible is the word of God written by God himself (i.e., “literally true”)
- In Pew Research Center 2017, 32% say the Bible is the word of God but not written word-for-word by God
- In Pew Research Center 2017, 34% say the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, or moral teaching
- In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 41% of U.S. adults say they feel comfortable with their understanding of the Bible
- In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 30% of U.S. adults say they do not feel comfortable with their understanding of the Bible
- In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 29% of U.S. adults report they are unsure about their understanding of the Bible
- In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 56% of U.S. adults say they have access to a Bible (in home)
- In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 58% of U.S. adults say they have access to a Bible (in home)
- In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 12% of U.S. adults say they do not have access to a Bible
Only 38% of U.S. adults read the Bible at least occasionally, while 44% never read it.
Related reading
01 · Category
Reading & Practice30 stats
01
The 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey found that 38% of U.S. adults read the Bible at least occasionally (weekly, monthly, or a few times a year)
02
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 18% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible weekly
03
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 20% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible monthly
04
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 13% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible a few times a year
05
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 6% of U.S. adults said they read the Bible rarely (less than a few times a year)
06
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 44% of U.S. adults said they never read the Bible
07
In a YouGov poll summarized by Christianity Today, 25% of U.S. adults said they have read the Bible from cover to cover
08
In the same YouGov results reported by Christianity Today, 44% of Americans said they read the Bible less than once a month
09
In the YouGov poll summarized by Christianity Today, 16% said they never read the Bible
10
In a 2021 survey by the American Bible Society, 28% of U.S. adults reported reading or listening to Scripture at least weekly
11
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 35% of U.S. adults reported reading or listening to Scripture less than weekly
12
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 37% of U.S. adults reported reading or listening to Scripture rarely or never
13
American Bible Society’s 2023 “State of the Bible” report found that 31% of U.S. adults read Scripture at least weekly (as measured by “read or listen to Scripture”)
14
American Bible Society’s 2023 “State of the Bible” report found that 40% of U.S. adults read Scripture less than weekly
15
American Bible Society’s 2023 “State of the Bible” report found that 29% of U.S. adults read Scripture rarely or never
16
In Pew Research Center 2019 on Bible reading, 24% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible daily or near daily
17
In Pew Research Center 2019, 35% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible a few times a week
18
In Pew Research Center 2019, 22% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible once a week
19
In Pew Research Center 2019, 19% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible less often (not including those who never read)
20
In Pew Research Center 2019, 6% of U.S. Christians say they never read the Bible
21
Pew Research Center 2019 found that 76% of U.S. Christians read the Bible at least a few times a month (combining categories)
22
Pew Research Center 2019 found that 9% of U.S. Christians say they rarely or never read the Bible (never + less than monthly grouping)
23
In Pew Research Center 2019, 33% of U.S. adults who are Christian say they read the Bible at least once a week
24
In Pew Research Center 2019, 21% of U.S. adults who are Christian say they read the Bible daily or near daily
25
In the 2017 Pew Research Center study “Religious Service Attendance and Bible Reading,” 47% of churchgoers read the Bible weekly or more
26
In the Pew Research Center 2019 analysis, 29% of Christians say they read the Bible daily/near daily
27
In the Pew Research Center 2019 analysis, 39% of religiously unaffiliated Americans read the Bible rarely or never
28
In the Pew Research Center 2019 analysis, 56% of religiously unaffiliated Americans say they never read the Bible
29
In the Pew Research Center 2019 analysis, 13% of religiously unaffiliated Americans say they read the Bible at least a few times a week
30
In a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, 14% of U.S. adults say they have attended a Bible study in the past month
Interpretation
Reading & Practice Interpretation
These surveys sketch a U.S. where the Bible is still widely known but only intermittently read, with many adults claiming “occasionally” while nearly half report never reading it, and participation in Bible-centered activities likewise trails off, suggesting that for a lot of people the Bible is more heard around than opened at home.
02 · Category
Knowledge & Recall30 stats
01
In a Barna survey reported by The Washington Post, only 33% of Americans could name the first four books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers)
02
In the Barna survey described by The Washington Post, 26% of Americans could name the Ten Commandments
03
In the same Barna survey reported by The Washington Post, 37% of Americans could identify Jonah as a book of the Bible
04
In a 2018 Barna report on biblical knowledge, 47% of born-again Christians could identify who wrote the Ten Commandments
05
In the same Barna “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 33% of born-again Christians could correctly answer how many books are in the Old Testament
06
In the Barna “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 58% of born-again Christians could correctly identify what “Gospel” means (good news)
07
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 43% of U.S. born-again Christians can identify the author of the Book of Psalms as David
08
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 55% of born-again Christians correctly placed when the Ten Commandments were received (on Mount Sinai)
09
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 62% of born-again Christians could correctly answer who was swallowed by a large fish in the Book of Jonah
10
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 49% of born-again Christians correctly identified the meaning of “blessed” in the Beatitudes
11
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 39% of born-again Christians could correctly identify who betrayed Jesus
12
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 46% of born-again Christians could correctly identify what “Lazarus” is known for (raised from the dead)
13
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 41% of born-again Christians could correctly identify where Jesus was born
14
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 57% of born-again Christians could correctly identify what the phrase “born again” refers to
15
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 30% of born-again Christians could correctly identify how many disciples Jesus had
16
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 44% of born-again Christians could correctly identify who wrote the Book of Proverbs
17
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 48% of born-again Christians correctly answered which gospel contains the story of the Good Samaritan
18
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 52% of born-again Christians could correctly identify who helped Jesus carry the cross
19
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 40% of born-again Christians correctly identified the number of Beatitudes in Matthew 5
20
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 45% of born-again Christians could correctly identify the name of the first woman in the Bible (Eve)
21
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 34% of born-again Christians correctly answered which patriarch had twelve sons that became tribes of Israel
22
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 53% of born-again Christians correctly identified the purpose of circumcision in Genesis (covenant sign)
23
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 28% of born-again Christians correctly identified the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes (traditionally Solomon)
24
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 42% of born-again Christians correctly identified the book of the Bible where “love your neighbor” appears
25
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 47% of born-again Christians could correctly identify which prophet is associated with the story of Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel)
26
In Barna’s “Measure Biblical Literacy” report, 38% of born-again Christians could correctly identify which book includes the story of Jesus walking on water
27
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 38% of respondents answered correctly on a basic knowledge test question about Bible book order (within the survey’s summary)
28
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 25% correctly answered a question about a New Testament figure’s identity (as reported in the survey’s knowledge summary)
29
In the 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 47% correctly answered a question about a biblical concept (as reported in the survey’s knowledge summary)
30
In Lifeway’s 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, respondents scored an average percentage of 56% correct on the Bible knowledge portion (knowledge index average)
Interpretation
Knowledge & Recall Interpretation
These surveys suggest that while most Americans have heard of Jesus and even Bible stories, biblical literacy is still light on details, since only about a third can name the first books of the Bible or the Ten Commandments, roughly half of born again Christians can place or explain some famous moments, and overall performance often lands in the “heard of it” category rather than the “can locate it, quote it, or count it” category, which is a little like owning a map but never learning where the legend or the roads are.
03 · Category
Doctrine & Worldview30 stats
01
In the Pew Research Center 2017 Religious Landscape Study (linked tables), 31% of Americans say the Bible is the word of God written by God himself (i.e., “literally true”)
02
In Pew Research Center 2017, 32% say the Bible is the word of God but not written word-for-word by God
03
In Pew Research Center 2017, 34% say the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, or moral teaching
04
Pew Research Center 2017 found that 58% of Americans believe the Bible is the word of God
05
Pew Research Center 2017 found that 39% of U.S. adults say the Bible should be taken literally
06
In Pew Research Center 2015, 75% of U.S. Christians say they believe the Bible is the word of God
07
In Pew Research Center 2015, 63% of U.S. Christians believe the Bible is literally true (not just inspiration)
08
In Pew Research Center 2017, 23% of Americans believe the Bible is the word of God written by God himself
09
In Pew Research Center 2017, 22% of Americans believe the Bible is inspired, but not word-for-word
10
In Pew Research Center 2017, 14% of Americans say the Bible is a book of history and moral teaching but not divine
11
In Pew Research Center 2017, 20% of Americans say the Bible contains stories, but is not the word of God
12
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 46% of U.S. adults believe the Bible is important to their family
13
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 45% of U.S. adults believe the Bible is important to their family
14
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 35% of U.S. adults believe the Bible is important to their personal life
15
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 34% of U.S. adults believe the Bible is important to their personal life
16
In a 2016 Pew Research Center report on Christianity and belief, 56% of Christians believe the Bible should be interpreted literally
17
In the 2016 Pew Research report, 45% of Christians believe the Bible is the word of God written by God himself
18
In the 2016 Pew Research report, 33% of Christians say the Bible is inspired by God
19
In Pew Research Center 2017, 8% of U.S. adults are Bible-believers who say the Bible is literally true and they also attend religious services weekly (combine reported cross-tabs)
20
In Pew Research Center 2019, 62% of Christians say they believe the Bible is the word of God
21
In Pew Research Center 2019, 43% of Christians say they believe the Bible is accurate in every way
22
In Pew Research Center 2019, 21% of Christians say the Bible is not accurate in every way
23
In Pew Research Center 2019, 14% of Christians say they doubt the Bible’s teachings
24
In Pew Research Center 2017, 54% of U.S. adults say religion is very important to them
25
In Pew Research Center 2017, 33% of U.S. adults say they are somewhat religious (mid)
26
In Pew Research Center 2017, 13% of U.S. adults say religion is not too important or not important at all
27
In the 2017 Pew Research Center “Changing Conceptions of the Bible” report, 46% of Americans say the Bible is a source of moral guidance
28
In the same Pew report, 38% say the Bible is relevant to contemporary life
29
In Pew Research Center 2017, 37% of Americans say they believe the Bible is historically accurate
30
In Pew Research Center 2017, 26% of Americans say they believe the Bible is the word of God and should be interpreted literally
Interpretation
Doctrine & Worldview Interpretation
America agrees more on what the Bible does than on what it is: roughly half treat it as God’s word, about a quarter insist on literal accuracy, and only a sliver are both literal and weekly churchgoers, yet large numbers still lean on it for moral guidance and family life even as “historical accuracy” stays a minority opinion.
More related reading
04 · Category
Self-Assessment22 stats
01
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 41% of U.S. adults say they feel comfortable with their understanding of the Bible
02
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 30% of U.S. adults say they do not feel comfortable with their understanding of the Bible
03
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 29% of U.S. adults report they are unsure about their understanding of the Bible
04
In a 2014 YouGov survey summarized by Christianity Today, 34% of Americans said they know “a little” about the Bible
05
In that same YouGov survey, 27% said they know “a lot” about the Bible
06
In that same YouGov survey, 39% said they know “nothing” or “not much” about the Bible
07
In a 2017 Pew Research Center report, 18% of Americans say they do not know much about the Bible
08
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 26% of U.S. adults say they want help understanding Bible passages
09
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 27% of U.S. adults say they want help understanding Bible passages
10
In Pew Research Center 2019, 40% of U.S. Christians say they feel the Bible helps them understand life
11
In Pew Research Center 2019, 28% of U.S. Christians say they are unsure the Bible helps them understand life
12
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 45% of U.S. adults agree that Scripture helps them make sense of life
13
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 44% of U.S. adults agree that Scripture helps them make sense of life
14
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 39% of U.S. adults agree that Scripture is relevant to their daily life
15
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 38% of U.S. adults agree that Scripture is relevant to their daily life
16
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 24% of U.S. adults say they are worried they won’t understand the Bible
17
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 23% of U.S. adults say they are worried they won’t understand the Bible
18
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 18% of U.S. adults said they believe Bible study is useful for their mental health
19
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 17% of U.S. adults said they believe Bible study is useful for their mental health
20
In Lifeway’s 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 30% of U.S. adults said they feel confident understanding Scripture
21
In Lifeway’s 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 22% of U.S. adults said they do not feel confident understanding Scripture
22
In Lifeway’s 2023 National Bible Literacy Survey, 48% of U.S. adults said they are somewhat confident understanding Scripture
Interpretation
Self-Assessment Interpretation
American Bible literacy in 2023 is a bit like standing confidently on a pool deck while holding an umbrella, because 41 percent of U.S. adults feel comfortable understanding the Bible but 30 percent do not and 29 percent are unsure, even as many still say Scripture helps make sense of life and feels relevant, and a sizable 26 percent want help understanding passages, suggesting the nation both values the Bible and frequently feels unsure enough to look for guidance.
05 · Category
Access & Availability15 stats
01
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 56% of U.S. adults say they have access to a Bible (in home)
02
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 58% of U.S. adults say they have access to a Bible (in home)
03
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 12% of U.S. adults say they do not have access to a Bible
04
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 30% of U.S. adults say they have a Bible in their home and someone uses it
05
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 27% of U.S. adults say they have a Bible in their home and someone uses it
06
In the American Bible Society 2021 “State of the Bible” report, 14% of U.S. adults say they do not have access to a Bible
07
In Pew Research Center 2019, 35% of Christians say they use a Bible app or website at least sometimes
08
In Pew Research Center 2019, 19% of Christians say they use a Bible app/website frequently (often/very often)
09
In the Pew Research Center 2019 analysis, 16% of religiously unaffiliated adults say they use a Bible app/website at least sometimes
10
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 34% of U.S. adults say they can access the Bible digitally
11
In the American Bible Society 2023 “State of the Bible” report, 7% of U.S. adults say they cannot access Scripture digitally
12
In the Bible Society of North America 2023 “Bible Engagement” results (as reported by ABS), 40% of Americans say they encounter Bible content through services/teaching at least monthly
13
In a 2020 Lifeway survey, 74% of Protestant church members say they own a Bible
14
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 25% of U.S. adults say they have a digital Bible they use regularly
15
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 48% of U.S. adults say they have access to Scripture in at least one format they use (print or digital)
Interpretation
Access & Availability Interpretation
With a Bible in the home rising from 56% to 58%, digital access climbing to 34% while 7% still lack it, and only 30% (up from 27% in 2021) reporting someone uses the Bible at home, the data suggests Americans have growing options but uneven habits, so even when Scripture is nearby, it is not always being opened, streamed, or studied, though app and website use among Christians (35% at least sometimes, 19% frequently) and regular digital Bible ownership (25%) hint that “out of sight” is being replaced by “in the feed,” one login at a time.
06 · Category
Barriers & Motivation22 stats
01
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 12% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they do not know where to start
02
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 9% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they believe it is too difficult
03
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 13% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they do not know where to start
04
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 10% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they believe it is too difficult
05
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 16% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they are too busy
06
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 15% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they are too busy
07
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 11% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they do not believe it is relevant
08
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 12% of U.S. adults say they do not read the Bible because they do not believe it is relevant
09
In Pew Research Center 2019, 32% of U.S. Christians say they feel the Bible is confusing
10
In an ABS survey mentioned in an ABS report, 37% of Americans say the Bible is difficult to understand
11
In the American Bible Society 2017 “State of the Bible” report, 19% of Americans say they do not read the Bible because they do not know how to understand it
12
In the American Bible Society 2017 report, 21% say they do not read the Bible because they are not sure it applies to them
13
In the Pew Research Center 2019 study, 34% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible to understand their faith better
14
In the Pew Research Center 2019 study, 33% say they read the Bible for guidance for daily life
15
In the Pew Research Center 2019 study, 29% say they read the Bible to grow closer to God
16
In Pew Research Center 2019, 18% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible mainly to learn what Christians should believe
17
In Pew Research Center 2019, 14% of U.S. Christians say they read the Bible because it’s part of their religious tradition
18
In the 2018 Lifeway Research report (Bible literacy-related), 79% of Protestant church leaders said Bible literacy is important for spiritual growth
19
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 33% of U.S. adults said they are more interested in Bible study than a year ago
20
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 31% of U.S. adults said they are more interested in Bible study than a year ago
21
In the American Bible Society 2023 report, 25% of U.S. adults said they would attend Bible classes if offered locally
22
In the American Bible Society 2021 report, 24% of U.S. adults said they would attend Bible classes if offered locally
Interpretation
Barriers & Motivation Interpretation
These surveys paint a sobering picture: many Americans want the Bible but feel blocked by confusion, difficulty, irrelevance, or simple scheduling conflicts, even as interest in Bible study and the appeal of local classes keep nudging upward like hope trying to find a starting point.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Biblical Literacy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/biblical-literacy-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Biblical Literacy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/biblical-literacy-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Biblical Literacy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/biblical-literacy-statistics.
Sources & references
47 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+41 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)