Religion in Latin America
Religion in Latin America is characterized by the historical predominance of Roman Catholicism, increasing Protestant influence, as well as by the presence of other world religions.
Christianity
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.[citation needed] Anglicanism also has a long and growing presence in Latin America
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)[6][7][8] and Muslims (400,000-500,000)[9][10][11] 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.[12]
Evolution of religion in Latin America
Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 2010:[13]
Country | Christianity (%) |
Catholicism (%) |
Protestantism (%) |
Other Religions (%) |
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 79,6 | 68,3 | 11,3 | 2,0 | 18,4 |
Belize | 71,1 | 40,0 | 31,1 | 12,8 | 16,1 |
Bolivia | 89,3 | 72,0 | 17,3 | 3,1 | 7,6 |
Brazil | 81,5 | 60,1 | 21,4 | 5,1 | 13,4 |
Chile | 64,2 | 50,2 | 14,0 | 2,1 | 33,7 |
Colombia | 90,3 | 78,3 | 12,0 | 1,7 | 8,0 |
Costa Rica | 81,3 | 62,6 | 18,7 | 4,1 | 14,6 |
Cuba | 50,7 | 46,3 | 4,4 | 2,0 | 47,3 |
Ecuador | 75,5 | 62,2 | 13,3 | 2,5 | 22,0 |
El Salvador | 66,4 | 40,2 | 26,2 | 2,0 | 31,6 |
Guatemala | 74,5 | 45,1 | 29,4 | 1,1 | 24,4 |
Haiti | 89,5 | 76,4 | 13,1 | 2,2 | 8,3 |
Honduras | 85,2 | 49,7 | 35,5 | 3,2 | 11,6 |
Mexico | 87,9 | 76,3 | 11,6 | 1,3 | 10,8 |
Nicaragua | 80,1 | 55,0 | 25,1 | 3,1 | 16,8 |
Panama | 86,6 | 70,7 | 15,9 | 4,4 | 9,0 |
Paraguay | 92,6 | 84,0 | 8,6 | 2,7 | 4,7 |
Peru | 92,1 | 81,7 | 10,4 | 1,8 | 6,1 |
Puerto Rico | 90,9 | 60,2 | 30,7 | 1,0 | 8,1 |
Dominican Republic | 77,5 | 57,5 | 20,0 | 7,4 | 15,1 |
Uruguay | 45,0 | 31,8 | 13,2 | 3,0 | 52,0 |
Venezuela | 75,7 | 60,5 | 15,2 | 3,0 | 21,3 |
Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 2000 :
Country | Christianity (%) |
Catholicism (%) |
Protestantism (%) |
Other Religions (%) |
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 88,9 | 78,8 | 10,1 | 2,5 | 8,6 |
Belize | 81,0 | 51,0 | 30,0 | 8,3 | 10,7 |
Bolivia | 91,2 | 77,1 | 14,1 | 2,8 | 6,0 |
Brazil | 84,7 | 70,0 | 14,7 | 6,1 | 9,2 |
Chile | 77,5 | 61,8 | 15,7 | 2,8 | 19,7 |
Colombia | 92,4 | 84,2 | 8,2 | 1,9 | 5,7 |
Costa Rica | 89,6 | 76,6 | 13,0 | 3,2 | 7,2 |
Cuba | 57,2 | 53,5 | 3,7 | 2,3 | 40,5 |
Ecuador | 83,2 | 72,1 | 11,1 | 3,2 | 13,6 |
Guatemala | 82,7 | 55,6 | 27,1 | 2,2 | 15,1 |
Haiti | 91,5 | 83,5 | 8,0 | 4,5 | 4,0 |
Honduras | 87,9 | 64,8 | 23,1 | 2,8 | 9,3 |
Mexico | 91,6 | 83,8 | 7,8 | 2,1 | 6,3 |
Nicaragua | 85,8 | 71,4 | 14,4 | 2,6 | 11,6 |
Panama | 90,7 | 80,0 | 10,7 | 4,1 | 5,2 |
Paraguay | 94,7 | 88,1 | 6,6 | 2,0 | 3,3 |
Peru | 94,5 | 87,5 | 7,0 | 2,5 | 3,0 |
Puerto Rico | 92,2 | 62,9 | 29,3 | 1,6 | 6,2 |
Dominican Republic | 82,8 | 68,1 | 14,7 | 8,0 | 9,2 |
El Salvador | 75,2 | 56,4 | 18,8 | 2,5 | 22,3 |
Uruguay | 58,6 | 48,4 | 10,2 | 2,5 | 38,9 |
Venezuela | 85,7 | 75,5 | 10,2 | 3,1 | 11,2 |
Religious affiliation in Latin America according to the CID-Gallup 1990 :
Country | Christianity (%) |
Catholicism (%) |
Protestantism (%) |
Other Religions (%) |
Unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 94,5 | 87,3 | 7,0 | 1,6 | 4,1 |
Belize | 80,7 | 56,7 | 24,0 | 13,6 | 5,7 |
Bolivia | 94,9 | 87,5 | 7,4 | 3,1 | 2,0 |
Brazil | 88,1 | 77,9 | 10,2 | 5,5 | 6,4 |
Chile | 89,5 | 75,6 | 13,9 | 1,6 | 8,9 |
Colombia | 96,7 | 91,1 | 5,6 | 1,1 | 2,2 |
Costa Rica | 93,1 | 84,0 | 9,1 | 2,5 | 4,4 |
Cuba | 45,4 | 42,6 | 2,8 | 4,0 | 50,6 |
Ecuador | 90,6 | 83,2 | 7,4 | 2,2 | 7,2 |
Guatemala | 87,0 | 65,2 | 21,8 | 2,0 | 11,0 |
Haiti | 93,2 | 89,5 | 3,7 | 5,8 | 1,0 |
Honduras | 94,8 | 80,6 | 14,2 | 1,9 | 3,4 |
Mexico | 96,8 | 91,5 | 5,3 | 1,1 | 2,1 |
Nicaragua | 93,6 | 83,4 | 10,2 | 1,3 | 5,1 |
Panama | 94,9 | 88,9 | 6,0 | 3,0 | 2,1 |
Paraguay | 98,0 | 95,8 | 2,2 | 1,6 | 0,4 |
Peru | 97,3 | 93,0 | 4,3 | 1,6 | 1,1 |
Puerto Rico | 94,1 | 68,3 | 25,8 | 1,8 | 4,1 |
Dominican Republic | 88,7 | 79,7 | 9,0 | 6,0 | 5,3 |
El Salvador | 83,2 | 66,5 | 16,7 | 2,1 | 14,7 |
Uruguay | 72,0 | 65,3 | 6,7 | 1,4 | 26,6 |
Venezuela | 93,0 | 86,7 | 6,3 | 2,6 | 4,4 |
See also
References
- ^ Facts of Basilica of Aparecida
- ^ Christians – Pew Research Center
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|website=
- ^ Religion in Latin America Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region
- ^ LeElef, Ner. "World Jewish Population". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ^ The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute; Annual Assessment, 2007
- ^ United Jewish Communities; Global Jewish Populations
- ^ Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs - Background Note: Argentina
- ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2008 - Argentina
- ^ Árabes y musulmanes en América Latina
- ^ LANIC religion page
- ^ The Latin American Socio-Religious Studies Program / Programa Latinoamericano de Estudios Sociorreligiosos (PROLADES) PROLADES Religion in America by country
Further reading
- 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. x, 275 p.