Religion in Latin America

Religion in Latin America is characterized by the historical predominance of Catholic Christianity, increasing Protestant influence, as well as by the presence of other world religions. According to survey data from 2014, 69% of the Latin American population is Catholic and 17% is Protestant, rising to 26% in Brazil and over 44% in much of Central America.

Christianity

The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida is the second largest in the world, after only of the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City.[1]

The majority of Latin Americans are Christians (90%),[2] mostly Roman Catholics.[3][4] Membership in Protestant denominations is increasing, particularly in Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador and Puerto Rico.[5] Brazil has an active quasi-socialist Roman Catholic movement known as Liberation Theology. Anglicanism also has a long and growing presence in Latin America

According to the detailed Pew multi-country survey in 2014, 69% of the Latin American population is Catholic and 19% is Protestant, rising to 26% in Brazil and over 40% in much of Central America. More than half of these are converts.[6][7]

Indigenous creeds

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.

Other world religions

Argentina hosts the largest communities of both Jews (180,000-300,000)[8][9][10] and Muslims (400,000-500,000)[11][12][13] in Latin America. Brazil is the country with more practitioners in the world of Allan Kardec's Spiritism. Practitioners of the Judaism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhist, Islamic, Hinduism, Bahá'í Faith, and Shinto denominations and religions also exercised in Latin America.[14]

Evolution of religion in Latin America

Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 2010:[15]

CountryChristianity
(%)
Catholicism
(%)
Protestantism
(%)
Other Religions
(%)
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics
(%)
 Argentina85,874,811,02,212,0
 Belize74,040,533,510,415,6
 Bolivia94,476,018,42,53,1
 Brazil88,764,624,14,38,0
 Chile76,160,215,92,421,5
 Colombia93,278,215,01,85,0
 Costa Rica87,069,717,33,99,1
 Cuba51,346,94,43,045,7
 Ecuador93,180,712,42,24,7
 El Salvador82,443,829,42,024,8
 Guatemala87,047,139,91,111,9
 Haiti89,777,611,16,34,0
 Honduras88,549,738,83,28,3
 Mexico92,982,910,02,54,6
 Nicaragua82,255,027,23,114,7
 Panama92,274,717,53,14,7
 Paraguay96,488,28,22,11,5
 Peru93,780,713,02,83,5
 Puerto Rico91,260,530,71,27,6
 Dominican Republic85,565,520,04,010,5
 Uruguay51,540,411,03,145,5
 Venezuela88,372,116,23,28,5

Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 2000 :

CountryChristianity
(%)
Catholicism
(%)
Protestantism
(%)
Other Religions
(%)
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics
(%)
 Argentina90,082,08,02,57,5
 Belize81,751,030,78,69,7
 Bolivia94,579,115,42,72,8
 Brazil88,973,915,04,56,6
 Chile85,869,915,92,911,3
 Colombia94,584,59,01,93,6
 Costa Rica91,778,713,03,35,0
 Cuba49,245,53,72,348,5
 Ecuador94,885,19,71,73,5
 Guatemala81,856,025,82,515,7
 Haiti91,283,57,75,53,3
 Honduras92,169,123,02,85,1
 Mexico94,288,06,22,33,5
 Nicaragua86,971,315,62,610,5
 Panama93,082,210,83,83,2
 Paraguay97,590,66,91,51,0
 Peru95,286,98,32,72,1
 Puerto Rico93,364,029,31,65,0
 Dominican Republic83,268,814,47,89,0
 El Salvador83,360,420,92,616,1
 Uruguay59,950,09,92,537,6
 Venezuela91,881,410,43,25,0

Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 1990 :

CountryChristianity
(%)
Catholicism
(%)
Protestantism
(%)
Other Religions
(%)
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics
(%)
 Argentina93,887,36,51,94,3
 Belize81,757,724,012,65,7
 Bolivia95,086,48,63,21,8
 Brazil89,279,010,25,55,3
 Chile90,776,813,92,17,2
 Colombia96,891,15,71,22,0
 Costa Rica94,085,09,02,53,5
 Cuba45,342,72,64,250,5
 Ecuador95,289,16,12,32,5
 Guatemala87,065,221,82,011,0
 Haiti93,089,23,85,91,1
 Honduras94,680,813,82,03,4
 Mexico96,891,65,21,12,1
 Nicaragua92,681,411,21,36,1
 Panama95,089,06,03,02,0
 Paraguay98,894,04,80,60,6
 Peru96,690,56,12,31,1
 Puerto Rico94,168,425,71,94,0
 Dominican Republic88,979,99,05,55,6
 El Salvador86,269,516,72,111,7
 Uruguay72,065,36,71,426,6
 Venezuela94,287,56,72,33,5

See also

References

  1. Facts of Basilica of Aparecida
  2. Christians – Pew Research Center
  3. "Las religiones en tiempos del Papa Francisco" (PDF) (in Spanish). Latinobarómetro. April 2014. p. 7. Archived from the original (pdf) on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  4. "Religion in Latin America, Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region". http://www.pewforum.org. Pew Research Center, November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  5. Religion in Latin America Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region
  6. Alec Ryrie, "The World's Local Religion" History Today (2017) online
  7. "Religion in Latin America: Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region" Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life Nov 13, 2014
  8. LeElef, Ner. "World Jewish Population". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  9. The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute; Annual Assessment, 2007
  10. United Jewish Communities; Global Jewish Populations Archived 2008-05-31 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs - Background Note: Argentina
  12. International Religious Freedom Report 2008 - Argentina
  13. Árabes y musulmanes en América Latina
  14. LANIC religion page
  15. The Latin American Socio-Religious Studies Program / Programa Latinoamericano de Estudios Sociorreligiosos (PROLADES) PROLADES Religion in America by country

Further reading

  • Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon : Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil by Gerard Colby, Publisher: 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
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