Nearly 6 in 10 Americans say they are “disengaged” from the Bible — the largest percentage in 14 years, according to a recent survey by the American Bible Society.

In the annual “State of the Bible” survey, 57% of U.S. adults said they do not engage with the Bible. Thirty-eight percent said they use the Bible, down from 50% in 2021 and marking the third consecutive year of decline.

But 21% of Generation Z have increased their Bible usage, more than twice the rate of decrease in the age group. And 54% of that cohort said the Bible “has transformed their lives.”

“Increasingly, the Bible must compete for our attention in an ever-busier world. The State of the Bible survey bears this out as we see Scripture engagement decreasing over the last few years, especially in younger generations,” John Farquhar Plake, editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series. “Yet our youngest adults show signs of interest in the Bible, curiosity about it and transformative interaction with it.”

Mr. Plake, chief program officer of the American Bible Society, called the increased response of Gen Z adults to the Scriptures “a reason for hope.”

Black Americans, at 28%, are more engaged with Scripture than Americans who are White (16%), Hispanic (18%) or Asian (10%).

Denominational affiliation matters in engagement with the Bible, the survey revealed.

Evangelical Protestants are most numerous among those who are “Scripture Engaged” (46%) or can be moved toward engagement (32%). Only 22% said they were “disengaged” from the Bible.

By contrast, 42% of mainline Protestants and 60% of Catholics said they are not engaged with Scripture. However, the mainline adherents increased their level of Scripture engagement from 19% to 25%.

Eight additional chapters of the “State of the Bible” survey will be released between May and December, including research on technology, philanthropy, coping with loneliness and being a neighbor.

The results come from annual polling conducted each January via online and telephone contacts. The University of Chicago’s independent NORC polling unit conducted the survey, gaining responses from 2,506 adult members of its AmeriSpeak panel. The American Bible Society said the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.73 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

The first chapter of the survey can be downloaded at www.stateofthebible.org.