Poll results: Less than 40% of Americans engage with the Bible

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Only 38% of American adults engage with the Bible, according to a new survey conducted by the American Bible Society, a non-profit organization that advocates Bible engagement among Americans. The latest figure represents a small decrease compared to 2023 (40%).

About 15% of the respondents said the Bible became more important in their lives during the past year, however, the latest poll figures reinforce last decade’s dramatic decline in the number of adult Americans who believe the study of the Word is a significant part of their lives.

Some pundits believe if the trend is not reversed, the United States could potentially follow in the footsteps of largely post-Christian Western European societies that have lost much of the connection with their foundational Judeo-Christian roots.

U.S. experts are reportedly concerned about the growing detachment from the Bible, saying it could have an extensive impact on the social and spiritual fabric of American society. However, the report also found that about 53% of respondents expressed a desire to engage more with the Bible in their daily lives.

In 2011, Bible engagement in the U.S. was at roughly 50%. About 71 million Americans were “scripture engaged” as late as 2020, according to the poll. In 2024, the number of “scripture engaged” had fallen dramatically to 47 million.

The disengagement of Generation Z

Like other Christian-majority nations, older generations of Americans are, to a large degree, still connected to their Christian identity and roots. The decline in American Bible engagement may instead be related to Generation Z, defined as young individuals born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s.

Only 11% of Gen Z adults defined themselves as scripture-engaged, by far the lowest percentage among all surveyed demographic groups. Unlike previous generations of Americans, Gen Z individuals are much less likely to view the Bible as an important factor in their lives.

The weakened connection with the Bible among young Americans has influenced perceptions about central foreign policy issues such as Israel and the Middle East. Historically speaking, the more traditional American society has been far more supportive of Israel than the more post-Christian secularized societies in Western Europe. Evangelical Christians in the U.S. have consistently shown strong support for Israel.

However, a whopping 58% of Evangelicals under the age of 30 voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, according to an exit poll commissioned by ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

More troubling, only 11.9% of younger Americans Evangelicals of all races and backgrounds said they have “support for Israel” or “very strong support for Israel.”

By contrast, 55.8% of all Evangelicals, including the older generations, were shown to “lean toward support for Israel.”

Regional differences across America

The survey showed a consistent decline in Bible engagement in American society. However, this decline is not uniform and the survey showed significant differences between various regions of the United States.

The southern part of the United States noted the highest percentage of scripture-engaged individuals (25%). While this number may appear low, it is nevertheless almost double the percentage of scripture-engaged individuals in the midwest and northeastern regions.