Latin Americans still believe and pray despite falling Catholic numbers

Pew Research recorded the sharpest decline in Colombia, from 79 per cent of people identifying as Catholic a decade ago to 60 per cent today, and the smallest in Peru, from 76 to 67 per cent.

The number of Latin Americans who identify as Catholic is declining across Latin America, according to new research.

Over the past decade, the proportion of Catholics has fallen between nine and 19 per cent across the region, said the report from the Pew Research Centre, based on questions put in spring 2024 to 6,200 adults in six countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile.

In 2013-14, 71 per cent of Argentinians identified as Catholic, but 58 per cent do so today. In the same period, 61 per cent of Brazilians defined themselves as Catholic, compared to 46 per cent today. In Mexico, 81 per cent of people identified as Catholics in 2013-2014 and 67 per cent do today, while 64 per cent of Chileans said they were Catholic a decade ago and 46 per cent do so today.

The sharpest decline was recorded in Colombia, where 79 per cent of people said they were Catholic a decade ago and 60 per cent do today. The smallest was in Peru, where 76 per cent said they were Catholic in 2013-2014 and 67 per cent define themselves as such today.

However, Pew Research noted that “despite these shifts, Latin Americans remain quite religious, on average”. Belief in God is “widespread”, with nine in ten or more adults surveyed in each country saying they believed in God.

“Religion matters deeply to many people in the region, with about half or more of adults surveyed in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru saying religion is very important in their lives,” said the report, published on Wednesday.

“Latin Americans are about as likely to believe in God as they were a decade ago,” it concluded. “Even among religiously unaffiliated adults surveyed across the region, majorities say they believe in God.”

The report continued: “Prayer is fairly common, with majorities of Brazilian, Colombian and Peruvian adults saying they pray at least once a day. The religiosity of Latin Americans was particularly noticeable in comparison with other regions of the world, especially in Europe.”

A Venezuelan priest said that his compatriots in Chile had revived the Church there, marked by an aging congregation, suggesting further variations in the patterns of belief and practice across the region.

He told The Tablet: “The Church in countries which have welcomed Venezuelan immigrants values the fact their churches are full. In Chile, the churches are full of very fervent Venezuelans.”

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