Gen Z’s Trending Bible Sales

In a seismic cultural shift, Bible sales and church attendance are soaring among Gen Z, fuelled by an intense search for meaning.

We’ve all heard the same story – that faith is dying out among the young. But in the past six years, youngsters have been joining churches and buying Bibles at a surprising rate. The narrative of a church in decline is proving to be a myth, with more people identifying as Christian across almost every age bracket, with Gen Z leading the charge.

Who are Gen Z?

Gen Z, or Generation Z, are the group born between 1997 and 2012, digital natives whose attitudes and ideas are making waves everywhere. For years, this has been the age group thought to have zero interest in faith – so what’s changing?

A seismic shift

Recent studies have come as a shock, with Christian publishing house SPCK characterising the last few years as the most striking cultural shift in over 327 years of publishing history. Their records show Bible sales leaping from £2.69 million in 2019, to £5.02 million in 2024 – coinciding with a dramatic change in how Gen Z engage with faith. According to surveys, 62% of 18–24 year-olds identify as ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ spiritual, with just 13% calling themselves atheists, in stark contrast to 20% of millennials claiming atheism.

What’s more, the recent report The Quiet Revival (The Bible Society/ YouGov) showed church attendance rising by 50% between 2018-2024, with the supposed faith desert of 18-24 year-olds leading the increase, followed by those aged 25-34. In just 6 years, the 18-24s had the biggest increase in church attendance, jumping from 4% to 16%.

Encouraging? Yes – but we can’t just wait for Gen Z to show up at church doors asking to be let in. There’s still a distrust of traditional religion among many Gen Z-ers, as well as a distrust of thought leaders – both atheist and Christian. According to SPCK, they want to come to their own conclusions. But why do they care?

The search for meaning

Gen Z are all different – from the shy and retiring to the bold and outgoing. But they have shared a collective cultural history which has resulted in some generational trends. One of the most poignant and pressing is the search for meaning.

Much of Gen Z has grown up in a post-Christian world. Their parents, teachers and role models were likely to be Gen X (born roughly 1965-1980), 25% of which describes itself as atheist. Gen Z was brought up with materialism, secularism and the legacy of New Atheism, but none of these have brought about an atheist utopia – in fact, numerous Gen Z are in a state of heightened anxiety about the state of the world, especially when it comes to climate change. Materialism does nothing to help these worries, and secularism has no answer for questions like “why am I here”, “what’s the point in anything”, or “is the world doomed?”

The internet and its influencers

The internet has fuelled the search for meaning. Distant relationships, lack of proper connection, and hours spent watching trivial or anxiety-inducing content has driven a desire to find meaningful and fulfilling truth.

For good or ill, the internet has also given everyone the chance to share their story. And it’s pointed many towards faith.

Generally speaking, Gen Z dislike being told what to believe by authority figures. They tend to favour authenticity and hearing from people like themselves. Authentic and personal stories proliferate online – and many are journeys of faith.

It might be one person in an online forum, or it might be a favourite influencer, sharing their experience of faith with striking vulnerability. There have been examples of successful pranksters becoming Christian, and their previously light-hearted YouTube channels being given over to reflection and Bible study. Others delve into the scientific, historical and philosophical reasons for their becoming a Christian.

That isn’t to say all Gen Z are gullible or rely on influencers to tell them complicated truths. But they can act as a window into exploring faith, with the backing of those they like and

respect, instead of adult authority figures like family or teachers, against whom they might ordinarily rebel.

Debates

Gen Z is hugely varied. Some prefer their favourite influencers, and some follow online debates, which are widely available on social media and video sites. In this online world, Gen Z have access to debates featuring not just atheists and those of other faiths but also educated and intelligent Christian debaters, putting forth their side of the argument. Instead of a third-hand summary of The God Delusion, they can see Richard Dawkins in conversation with a whole selection of Christian academics, challenging each other and digging deep into the sticking-points between Christianity and atheism.

Talking with Gen Z

So what does this new interest look like, away from the screen?

Stevie Walker, Counties Evangelist, shares his experience of talking with Gen Z on his local streets. As is his practice, he often sets up a free literature table and a large poster of 9 different true-or-false statements, from “Life has no meaning”, to “Heaven is for good people”.

Older teens have approached him, asking him questions about Christianity, the Bible and his own decision to become a Christian. They’ve also asked him why he chose Christianity over any other religion, and they often comment that they find the evidence both for a creator and the Bible compelling.

Similarly, Counties Evangelist Dave Symons has spent 15 years working with the local college, beginning with a welcome stand at the beginning of the academic year – which this year turned out to be “one of the most encouraging I have ever experienced,” with more than 35 scriptures and booklets taken by interested students – some even turning down free chocolate as they pick up Christian books!

With thousands of Gen Z combing the internet for meaning, now is the perfect time to reach out, from conversations with colleagues to a personal invitation to church. Counties’ One2Lead weekends are training young people to reach out to their peers, while events, street stalls and youth groups all have amazing potential to engage Gen Z with Jesus.

Be encouraged by Gen Z. The young church is alive!