Catholic affiliation falls across Latin America as religious ‘nones’ grow 

Catholicism stays the most important religion in Latin America, but its dominance has continued to weaken over the past decade as increasing numbers of adults describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, in line with recent research.

An evaluation by the Pew Research Center shows that the proportion of individuals identifying as Catholic has fallen across six of the region’s most densely populated countries – Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile – at the same time as belief in God and private religious practice remain widespread.

The findings form a part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which tracks religious change and its social effect worldwide, with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation.

Based on surveys conducted in 2024 with greater than 6,200 adults, the study discovered that increasing numbers of Latin Americans now discover as atheist, agnostic or “nothing specifically.”

Despite this shift, levels of spiritual belief across the region remain higher than in lots of other parts of the world, particularly Europe.

Across all six countries surveyed, near nine in 10 adults profess belief in God.

In Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico, at the very least half of respondents described religion as highly significant of their lives, while each day prayer stays prevalent, especially in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

Each of the six countries are Catholic dominated but those majorities have narrowed significantly within the last decade. 

In Brazil and Chile, fewer than half (46%) of adults say they’re Catholic, while Mexico (67%), Argentina (58%), Peru (67%), and Colombia (60%), and retain Catholic majorities which might be markedly smaller than in 2013-14.

In Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, individuals with no religious affiliation now outnumber Protestants.

Protestant Christianity, in contrast, has seen little overall change.

Brazil continues to have the most important Protestant population among the many countries surveyed, with slightly below three in 10 (29%) adults identifying as Protestant — a modest increase of three% over the past decade.

Pentecostal churches remain influential across the region, though they now make up a smaller share of the Protestant population than in previous years, as other denominations expand.

The research also highlights significant religious switching.

In each country surveyed, at the very least one in five adults said they were brought up Catholic but not discover with the Church.

Most former Catholics now describe themselves as having no religious identity, while smaller proportions have joined Protestant churches.

Even so, the rise of spiritual “nones” doesn’t necessarily signal a collapse in belief.

Many religiously unaffiliated adults still affirm belief in God, with Mexico standing out at roughly 75%.

The study found notable differences in religious engagement between Catholics, Protestants and the unaffiliated.

Protestants are generally more prone to report frequent prayer and robust religious commitment, though Catholics exceed Protestants on some measures in certain countries.

The religiously unaffiliated are inclined to be less energetic overall, but many still hold core beliefs traditionally related to Christianity.

Researchers also compared Latin America’s unaffiliated population with Christians in Europe, concluding that “nones” in Latin America are, on average, similar in terms of spiritual commitment to European Christians – particularly on the subject of belief in God.