American Bible Society released in-depth findings from its State of the Bible survey, which details Americans’ beliefs about the Bible, its role in society, its presence in U.S. homes and more.

The annual State of the Bible 2012 survey, conducted by Barna Group on behalf of American Bible Society, found that:

  • 47% of American adults believe the Bible has too little influence in society today
  • 55% read the Bible to be closer to God, down 9% (from 64%) in 2011
  • 79% believe they are knowledgeable about the Bible but 54% were unable to correctly identify the first five books of the Bible
  • 46% believe the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are different expressions of the same spiritual truths, 46% disagree
  • On average, 85% of U.S. households own a Bible; the average amount of Bibles per household is 4.3
  • 36% of Americans read the Bible less than once a year or never while 33% read the Bible once a week or more
  • Americans’ beliefs about the Bible are highly varied by age. Only 34% of those age 18-27 vs. 62% age 66 and older believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know about living a meaningful life.