Religion in Latin America

Religion in Latin America is characterized by the historical predominance of Catholicism,^[2] and growing number and influence of a large number of groups that belong to Protestantism, as well as by the presence of Irreligion. According to survey data from Statista in 2020, 57% of the Latin American population is Catholic and 19% is Protestant.^[3]

The majority of Latin Americans are Christians (90%),^[2] mostly Roman Catholics.^[5][1] Membership in Protestant denominations is increasing, particularly in Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Puerto Rico.^[6] In particular, Pentecostalism has experienced massive growth.^[7][8] This movement is increasingly attracting Latin America's middle classes.^[9] Anglicanism also has a long and growing presence in Latin America.

According to the detailed Pew Research Center multi-country survey in 2014, 69% of the Latin American population is Catholic and 19% is Protestant, rising to 22% in Brazil and over 40% in much of Central America. More than half of these are converts.^[10][11] According to the 2014 Pew survey, the 46 countries and territories of Latin America and the Caribbean comprised, in absolute terms, the world's second-largest Christian population (24%; including U.S., British, Dutch and French territories), after the 50 countries and territories of Europe (26%; including Russia, excluding Turkey), but just before the 51 countries and territories of Sub-Saharan Africa (24%; including Mauritania, excluding Sudan).^[12] A 2024 survey by M&R Consultadores found that 36.2% of Latin Americans identified as Catholic, 31% as Nondenominational believers and 27.7% as Protestant.^[13]

Indigenous creeds and rituals are still practiced in countries with large percentages of Amerindians, such as Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Various Afro-Latin American traditions such as Santería, Candomblé, Umbanda, Macumba, and tribal-voodoo religions are also practiced, mainly in Cuba, Brazil, and Haiti.

Argentina hosts the largest communities of both Jews (180,000-300,000)^[14][15][16] and Muslims (500,000-600,000)^[17][18][19] in Latin America. Brazil is the country with more practitioners in the world of Allan Kardec's Spiritism. Practitioners of Judaism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Bahá'í Faith, and Shinto are also present in Latin America.^[20]

Religion in Latin America (2010)^[21]

Country	Christian (%)	Catholic (%)	Protestant (%)	Other religions (%)	Unaffiliated (%)
Argentina	85,5	74,7	10,8	3,5	11,0
Belize	74,0	40,5	33,5	10,4	15,6
Bolivia	94,4	76,0	18,4	2,5	3,1
Brazil	88,7	64,6	24,1	4,3	8,0
Chile	82,1	66,2	15,9	2,5	15,4
Colombia	94,7	81,7	13,0	2,3	3,0
Costa Rica	89,9	70,7	19,2	4,0	6,1
Cuba	50,1	45,8	4,3	7,2	42,7
Ecuador	93,1	80,9	12,2	2,3	4,6
El Salvador	81,8	51,7	30,1	2,2	16,0
Guatemala	86,8	47,1	39,7	1,7	11,5
Haiti	84,3	68,8	15,5	9,8	5,9
Honduras	88,8	49,8	39,0	3,2	8,0
Mexico	92,0	82,9	9,1	3,4	4,6
Nicaragua	83,5	54,4	29,1	3,8	12,7
Panama	92,7	76,0	16,7	3,3	4,0
Paraguay	96,1	88,2	7,9	2,3	1,6
Peru	93,6	80,6	13,0	3,0	3,4
Puerto Rico	92,2	61,5	30,7	1,4	6,4
Dominican Republic	90,2	68,9	21,3	4,0	5,8
Uruguay	52,4	42,8	9,6	4,6	43,0
Venezuela	91,4	75,8	15,6	3,3	5,3

Religion in Latin America (2014)^[1]

Country	Catholic (%)	Protestant (%)	Unaffiliated (%)	Other (%)
Paraguay	89	7	1	2
Mexico	81	9	7	4
Colombia	79	13	6	2
Ecuador	79	13	5	3
Bolivia	77	16	4	3
Peru	76	17	4	3
Venezuela	73	17	7	4
Argentina	71	15	12	3
Panama	70	19	7	4
Chile	64	17	16	3
Costa Rica	62	25	9	4
Brazil	61	26	8	5
Dominican Republic	57	23	18	2
Puerto Rico	56	33	8	2
El Salvador	50	36	12	3
Guatemala	50	41	6	3
Nicaragua	50	40	7	4
Honduras	46	41	10	2
Uruguay	42	15	37	6
Latin America	69	19	8	4

Countries	Population Total	Christians %	Christian Population	Unaffiliated %	Unaffiliated Population	Other religions %	Other religions Population	Source
Argentina	44,830,000	85.4%	38,420,000	12.1%	5,320,000	2.5%	1,090,000	[22]
Bolivia	11,830,000	94%	11,120,000	4.1%	480,000	1.9%	230,000	[23]
Brazil	210,450,000	88.1%	185,430,000	8.4%	17,620,000	3.5%	7,400,000	[24]
Chile	18,540,000	88.3%	16,380,000	9.7%	1,800,000	2%	360,000	[25]
Colombia	52,160,000	92.3%	48,150,000	6.7%	3,510,000	1%	500,000	[26]
Costa Rica	5,270,000	90.8%	4,780,000	8%	420,000	1.2%	70,000	[27]
Cuba	11,230,000	58.9%	6,610,000	23.2%	2,600,000	17.9%	2,020,000	[28]
Ecuador	16,480,000	94%	15,490,000	5.6%	920,000	0.4%	70,000	[29]
El Salvador	6,670,000	88%	5,870,000	11.2%	740,000	0.8%	60,000	[30]
Guatemala	18,210,000	95.3%	17,360,000	3.9%	720,000	0.8%	130,000	[31]
Guyana	850,000	67.9%	580,000	2%	20,000	30.1%	250,000	[32]
Haiti	11,550,000	87%	10,040,000	10.7%	1,230,000	2.3%	280,000	[33]
Honduras	9,090,000	87.5%	7,950,000	10.5%	950,000	2%	190,000	[34]
Mexico	126,010,000	94.1%	118,570,000	5.7%	7,240,000	0.2%	200,000	[35]
Nicaragua	6,690,000	85.3%	5,710,000	13%	870,000	1.7%	110,000	[36]
Panama	4,020,000	92.7%	3,720,000	5%	200,000	2.3%	100,000	[37]
Paraguay	7,630,000	96.9%	7,390,000	1.1%	90,000	2%	150,000	[38]
Peru	32,920,000	95.4%	31,420,000	3.1%	1,010,000	1.5%	490,000	[39]
Dominican Republic	11,280,000	88%	9,930,000	10.9%	1,230,000	1.1%	120,000	[40]
Suriname	580,000	52.3%	300,000	6.2%	40,000	41.5%	240,000	[41]
Uruguay	3,490,000	57%	1,990,000	41.5%	1,450,000	1.5%	50,000	[42]
Venezuela	33,010,000	89.5%	29,540,000	9.7%	3,220,000	0.8%	250,000	[43]
Latin America	653,390,000	89.7%	585,850,000	8%	52,430,000	2.3%	15,110,000	[44]

• Colby, Gerard. Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil. HarperCollins.
• D'Antonio, William V., and Frederick B. Pike, jt. eds. Religion, Revolution, and Reform: New Forces for Change in Latin America. New York: F.A. Praeger, 1964