62%
of U.S. adults identify as Christian.
Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study found that 40% identify as Protestant, 19% as Catholic, and 3% as other Christians.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗U.S. reader and publishing data
Christian Book and Reading Statistics
Current figures on faith-oriented reading, Christian identity, and the book market, collected in one clear reference for readers, writers, librarians, and book clubs.
Last updated August 27, 2026
A careful view of the numbers
Christian fiction is part of a wider reading culture.
There is no single, comprehensive U.S. data set that measures Christian fiction readership on its own. This page therefore focuses on the closest reliable measures: religion-focused book reading, devotional and inspirational reading, Christian identity, personal reading time, and the publishing categories that support the broader book market.
Each figure below links directly to its original publisher. The dates shown refer to the survey, reporting year, or report publication as stated by that source.
Key Statistics
9 sourced figures34%
of U.S. adults say they read religion-focused books.
The Pew survey includes all U.S. adults, not only Christians, and compares book reading with other ways people engage with religious material.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023 ↗79%
of highly religious U.S. adults read religion-focused books.
For this analysis, Pew defines highly religious adults as people who attend services weekly, pray daily, and say religion is very important in their lives.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023 ↗20%
of U.S. adults read devotions, inspirational literature, or other holy texts at least weekly.
An additional 8% report doing so monthly, and 11% say they do so several times a year.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗35%
of U.S. adults read scripture or other holy texts, devotions, or inspirational literature at least monthly.
This combines the two reading measures in Pew's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗$7.1B
in U.S. adult-fiction publisher revenue in 2025.
Adult fiction revenue increased 3.9% from 2024, according to the Association of American Publishers' annual StatShot report.
Source: Association of American Publishers, 2026 report on 2025 ↗$2.2B
in Religious Press publisher revenue in 2025.
Religious Presses were the fastest-growing trade category in the report, increasing 9.3% from the prior year.
Source: Association of American Publishers, 2026 report on 2025 ↗17 min.
is the average daily time Americans age 15 and older spent reading for personal interest in 2024.
Reading time rises notably with age: adults 75 and older averaged 46 minutes per day.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026 ↗73.1%
of 2025 trade-publishing revenue came from hardbacks and paperbacks combined.
The figure underscores the continuing importance of print formats for consumer book publishing.
Source: Association of American Publishers, 2026 report on 2025 ↗What the figures show
Faith-oriented reading remains a meaningful part of American reading life.
The data does not tell us what every Christian reader wants from a novel. It does show a substantial audience for religion-focused books and inspirational reading, alongside a consumer book market where adult fiction and religious presses both grew in 2025.
For readers, that creates room for stories that pair a satisfying plot with questions of faith, courage, mercy, and conviction. For book clubs, libraries, writers, and journalists, the figures offer a useful starting point for understanding where faith-based reading fits within the wider American book landscape.
Explore Bryan's booksMethodology and sources
How to use this page
This is a public reference page, updated when major source reports release new data. It does not estimate Christian-fiction sales or readership where a source does not publish them.
- Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, published February 26, 2025.
- Pew Research Center's religious life and technology report, published June 2, 2023.
- Association of American Publishers' StatShot Annual Report, reporting calendar-year 2025 revenue and published August 10, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey, published March 2, 2026 and reporting 2024 reading time.
Cite this page
Powell, Bryan M. “Christian Book and Reading Statistics (2026).” Bryan M. Powell. Updated August 27, 2026. https://powelld.com/christian-book-statistics