“In churches across society something amazing is happening, challenging long-held predictions about the future of Christianity in the twenty-first century. Where once we saw aging congregations and a steady decline in attendance, we see dramatic growth, led by the young. Where once we saw apathy or even hostility to Christianity and the Bible we see increased openness, again among the young.”

The Quiet Revival is a research report produced by the British and Foreign Bible Society, with data from YouGov. It tracks religious attitudes and behaviours in England and Wales since 2018. The findings are encouraging:

“We found that the Church is in a period of rapid growth, driven by young adults and in particular young men. Along with this, the Church demonstrates greater ethnic diversity than ever before. Both within and outside the Church, young adults are more spiritually engaged than any other living generation, with Bible reading and belief in God on the rise.”

Regarding Bible engagement, “the 2024 data shows a rise in rates of Bible reading in England and Wales, while among the general population attitudes to its place in life remain steady. Overall, for most in our survey, the Bible retains some importance for public and cultural life, but is largely lacking in personal relevance. Among churchgoers, we see increased Bible engagement, but significant discipleship needs remain in deepening Bible confidence, particularly among young Christians.”

Here are some of the key findings:

• 79% of adults in England and Wales hardly ever or never read the Bible. Adults in England and Wales are unlikely to encounter the Bible in everyday life unless they are practising Christians.
• 44% of adults in England and Wales own a Bible
• The most common words to describe the Bible: Outdated (32%), Contradictory (27%), Guidance (25%)
• Bible reading among adults in England and Wales has doubled since 2018, with 12% of the population now saying they read the Bible outside of church services weekly or more, compared to 6% six years earlier.
• In 2018, 54% of churchgoers said they read the Bible at least weekly. In 2024, this had risen to 67%.
• Churchgoers aged 18–34 are the age group most likely to use an app to read the Bible, but like 35–54-year-olds, they use printed Bibles almost as often. Young Christians are the group most likely to engage with the Bible regularly through audio recordings, perhaps mirroring wider social trends of younger people engaging with content on the move.

The Quiet Revival report can be downloaded from the Bible Society website.