Catholicism Shrinks in Latin America While More Are Religiously Unaffiliated, Pew Surveys Find

Catholicism shrinks in Latin America while more are religiously unaffiliated, Pew surveys find

Catholicism in Latin American countries has shrunk over the last decade, while a growing percentage of adults identify as religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”

Catholicism Declining Rapidly in Latin America

The religious affiliation of people in Latin American countries remains dominated by Catholicism, but that share is declining, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.  In six of the region’s most populous countries, Catholics make up between 46% (Brazil and Chile) and 67% (Mexico and Peru) of the population, according to a 2024 study. In each of those countries, however, the Catholic share fell by at least 9 percentage points over the …