In the wake of the tragic shooting of conservative activist and author Charlie Kirk in late September 2025, U.S. Bible sales skyrocketed, with 2.4 million copies sold that month—a 36% increase from September 2024, according to Circana BookScan.
The Wall Street Journal reports this marked the highest monthly Bible sales in 2025, bucking a 1% decline in overall U.S. print book sales for the year’s first nine months.
Brenna Connor, a Circana BookScan analyst, tied the spike to broader unrest: “September’s violence, geopolitical strife, and economic uncertainty drove people to seek faith for solace, a trend we often see in crises.”
Year-to-date, Bible sales rose 11% compared to 2024, driven partly by Kirk’s death, which sparked a spiritual awakening among his followers.
At his September 21 memorial, Erika Kirk shared, “This week, we saw people dust off Bibles untouched for a decade, pray for the first time since childhood, and attend church for the first time ever.”
Mark Schoenwald, CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, noted that Kirk’s passing “awakened” many, especially 18-to-34-year-olds, a demographic Kirk frequently engaged on college campuses. “It’s prompting people to reflect on their beliefs,” he said, highlighting sustained Bible sales strength over the past two years.