In recent years, there has been a religious revival across the Western world that appears to be showing no signs of letting up.Recently, it was reported by the Daily Mail that Bible sales in Great Britain saw their highest level ever on record, more than doubling compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.The surge — mainly driven by Gen Z — saw total sales in the UK reach £6.3 million in 2025 — up 134% in value from £2.7 million in 2019, according to an analysis of UK firm Nielsen BookScan’s data.Sam Richardson, chief executive of SPCK Group — a Christian publisher — believes that the increase was “further evidence of a significant cultural shift regarding matters of faith and religion in this country.”He also claimed that the inquisitive nature of Gen Z — the generation between 18 and 28 years of age — was helping to drive the “significant and sustained” rise..“Young people are statistically far less likely to identify as atheists than their parents,” Richardson said.“Many are far more open to spirituality and the exploration of religion than previous generations,” Richardson said.Across the pond in Canada, Bible sales and church attendance are both on the rise as well.Data from Statistics Canada’s 2022 General Social Survey showed that 22% of Canadians aged 15–24 attended religious services at least once a month.This showed a significant increase compared to Canadians aged 25 to 64, whose monthly religious service rates varied between 15% and 17%.Data collected by the Angus Reid Institute between 2023 and 2025 also found the overall view on religion by Gen Z grew from 35 to 40%, while views from every other generation decreased.The Canadian Bible Society’s (CBS) 2025 Impact Report shows there has been a noticeable increase in scripture sales, with the organization having distributed 631,298 Bibles, Testaments, and scripture selections in 2024–2025, representing a 20.1% increase over the previous year.Bibles were also distributed in 71 different languages within Canada over the course of the year, with the top languages including Spanish, Persian (Farsi), Haitian Creole, Punjabi, and Chinese.Local booksellers are seeing this massive shift firsthand.Dawn Stinson, manager of Calgary’s Better Books & Bibles, said sales have increased steadily since 2020.“It’s all ages,” Stinson told the Western Standard.“People come in saying, ‘I haven’t read a Bible since I was a kid,’ or, ‘I haven’t gone to church for 30 years.’ It’s really all ages, but we also get young people — 10-year-olds asking for a Bible for themselves and their friends, and seniors needing help looking for one.”Stinson attributes the rise in sales, in part, to the societal upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.“People’s worldviews have been shaken up,” she said.“I think they're wondering what's going on... People are questioning a lot right now, over the last five years, and I think they're wondering if maybe the Bible has some of the answers.”While December remains the busiest month due to holiday sales, Stinson noted that interest in Bibles and other religious materials has been steady year-round.“We've seen an increase in Bible sales every single month — it's just pretty amazing,” she said..Stinson referenced a 2024 debate between Canadian theologian Wesley Huff and internet personality Billy Carson as another catalyst in attracting young people to her store and to scripture.“We had some young people coming in saying, ‘Oh, my friends and I used to listen to Billy Carson. We don't want to anymore. We wanna listen to Wes Huff. Can I get a Bible?’ So, it's across all economic strata. It's across ages. It’s men and women, and it’s very interesting.”Garry Koop, lead pastor at the Westview Baptist Church, said his church is seeing a regular stream of new people in his congregation, representing a “pretty big demographic spread,” but tilted towards younger generations.Koop said most newcomers tend to fall roughly between their early 20s and late 30s, with some parishioners being in their early 40s.He believes curiosity is what is drawing many of them in..“These age groups have a lot of questions,” Koop said, adding that he has been researching the trend as well.He said he incorporates a “Q and R” — question and response — segment into his services, allowing congregants to text or email questions live during sermons.He believes that creating a space for dialogue has been a key factor in attracting younger people who want to “dive a little deeper.”“When they find places like Westview or other places where there is space for dialogue, space for questions, I think it’s a motivational factor.”Koop also pointed to broader societal factors shaping renewed interest in spirituality, particularly the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.“One of the things COVID did was literally isolate us,” he said.“We’re designed to live in community — that’s not a religious sentence, that’s a scientific one... I think what came out of COVID was a longing for relationships, friendships, and community.”
