Nearly Half of Americans Still Crack Open the Bible Every Week Somewhere Besides Church

Bible reading is enjoying an upward trend over the last few years and it increased to 45 percent of Americans in the last year, according to a survey completed by the Barna Research Group.

Currently, 45 percent of adults read the Bible during a typical week, not including when they are at church. That figure represents a minimal increase over the past few years, but a significant rise from the 31 percent measured in 1995, the lowest level of Bible reading recorded by Barna in the past 15 years. The current statistic is still below the levels achieved in 1980s and early 1990s, but the report shows that the trend is upward.

Despite the hubbub over evangelicals after the last election, Barna’s research indicates that those who adhere to evangelical beliefs and assertions make up only 7 percent of the U.S. population.

--James Jewell