In 2014, more than 52 million religious book titles were sold in the U.S, representing an increase of over 10.5% from the prior year. Comparing this to the 2.4% increase for the overall book market, religion is outperforming the market as a whole.
And yet, 2015 has seen tremendous upheaval in the form of the Family Christian bankruptcy news, rapidly shifting purchasing behaviors, and a complicated media environment. Sales in the first half of this year have slowed since last year, as adult nonfiction sales were -3.72% in the first 25 weeks and adult fiction sales were up just 6.4%.
We believe the best way to deal with a market in flux is to get under the hood and understand the detail – starting with the consumer.
This mini-report represents a quick snapshot of the market, the different subgenres in the Christian book market, and how they are changing.
A Look at Who’s Buying Bibles
Bibles are an important part of the Christian book market. And unlike overall Christian book-buying trends, the majority of Bible buyers are male (58%), and 80% are under 45 years old. They’re also active online, as 45% of Bible buyers are on social media daily.
