Well, what dost thou knoweth? According to recent research, the King James Bible is far and away the most popular translation among Americans.
According to the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis’ “The Bible in American Life” report, 55 percent of American Bible readers preferred the classic KJV translation, compared to 19 percent who chose the NIV (the second most popular).
Bible Gateway’s Stephen Smith also found that the KJV is growing in popularity on the Internet: Though many English Bible translations have tapered off online since 2005, KJV searches have risen. Just how popular is the King James Bible? According to a 2011 Lifeway study, more than 60 percent of all U.S. households own at least one copy.