In 2023, the top-performing book was the Bible, though it may not be prominently featured on conventional best-seller lists. According to insights from The New Yorker, the Bible consistently claims the title of the best-selling book each year.
Estimating the exact number of Bibles sold in the United States proves challenging, as highlighted by a 2006 New Yorker article, which suggested that around twenty-five million Bibles were purchased in 2005, surpassing even the latest Harry Potter release. The annual expenditure on Bibles in the United States is estimated to exceed half a billion dollars.
The Guinness World Records attests that the Bible holds the position of the all-time best-selling book. However, several factors contribute to its absence from typical best-seller lists. Firstly, such lists typically focus on new releases, excluding enduring classics like school textbooks and the Bible. Additionally, the Bible’s numerous publishers and translations necessitate aggregating data for a comprehensive assessment. Lastly, the Bible’s consistent sales throughout the year lack the immediate surge associated with new releases, a key metric for best-seller lists.
Despite these factors, when considering combined sales and comparing them to other books, the Bible consistently secures the top spot annually. According to Barna, a remarkable 88 percent of Americans own a Bible, with an average ownership of 4.4 copies.
Guinness World Records notes on its website, “The best-selling book of all time is the Christian Bible,” acknowledging the challenge of determining the precise number of copies printed over the approximately 1500 years since its standardization. Research conducted by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 2021 suggests a total ranging between 5 and 7 billion copies.
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