American Bible Society today released the ninth and final chapter of their 14th annual State of the Bible report, which highlights findings on philanthropy, including data about those who give and receive and the impact of generosity on happiness and life satisfaction levels. The ninth chapter of State of the Bible 2024 is available to download at  StateoftheBible.org. The full report is also now available in print form, which you can preorder on Bibles.com. 

“People who consistently read the Bible and live by its teachings are more likely to give to charity,” said John Farquhar Plake, PhD, American Bible Society’s Chief Innovation Officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series. “Our data shows that they also give far more—not only to their churches, but also to religious and non-religious charities. At a national level, we could say that Scripture Engaged people form a massive engine of generosity and philanthropy.”  

The State of the Bible findings come from a nationally representative survey performed for American Bible Society by NORC at the University of Chicago, using their AmeriSpeak panel. The data came from 2,506 online interviews with American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Key findings analyzed in Chapter 9: Giving 

  • On a 0 to 10 scale measuring happiness and life satisfaction levels, with 10 being the highest score, givers scored nearly 7.2, while people who made no donations scored a full point less (6.1). At every level of giving, those with higher giving percentages also had higher satisfaction scores (page 190).
  • Americans who are Scripture Engaged are more likely to be donors, with 94% giving to charity. Seven in 10 (71%) of those reported giving at least $1,000 in the past year, and about one in six say they gave at least $10,000 (page 180).
  • The number of Americans contributing to charity has dropped from 68% to 59% this year, but charitable contributions have grown in dollar amount. The average annual donation among givers grew by more than $600 from 2022 to 2023 (pages 178–179). 
  • Americans with the lowest household income levels give the greatest percentage to church or charity, with giving exceeding 10% of their income. Among the highest-earning households, about 60% donate something (pages 186–187). 

To download the ninth chapter of State of the Bible 2024, visit StateoftheBible.org. You can also preorder our full-color paperback 2024 report at Bibles.com.

*For descriptions on how Scripture engagement was measured and reported, please see page 197 of the eBook available for download at StateoftheBible.org.