A profound religious transformation is underway across Latin America as Catholicism experiences significant decline while religiously unaffiliated populations surge, according to a comprehensive Pew Research Center study released Wednesday. The report, based on extensive surveys conducted in early 2024 across six major Latin American nations—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru—reveals a dramatic shift in spiritual identity across the region that represents approximately 75% of Latin America’s total population.
The research documents that Catholic affiliation has diminished by at least 9 percentage points in each country over the past decade, while religiously unaffiliated adults—identifying as atheist, agnostic, or ‘nothing in particular’—have increased by 7 percentage points or more. This trend has resulted in religiously unaffiliated populations now outnumbering Protestants in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico—a remarkable development in a region historically dominated by Catholic tradition.
Kirsten Lesage, Pew research associate and lead author of the report, emphasized the significance of these findings: ‘Our analysis found that the Catholic share of the population in these six nations has significantly declined since 2013-14, while a growing share of adults in the region are religiously unaffiliated.’
Despite these shifting affiliations, the study reveals that Latin Americans maintain strong spiritual inclinations. Approximately 90% or more adults across all surveyed countries affirm belief in God, with about half or more in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru considering religion ‘very important’ in their lives. Majorities in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru report praying at least daily.
Experts attribute the Catholic Church’s diminishing influence to multiple factors, including clergy sex abuse scandals and opposition to the institution’s conservative positions on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Many Latin Americans now seek spiritual fulfillment beyond traditional religious structures, exploring alternatives such as yoga, tarot, astrology, and personalized belief systems.
The survey, which polled 6,234 adults from January to April 2024 with a margin of error ranging from ±4.0 to 4.5 percentage points, indicates that Protestantism has remained relatively stable across the region during this period of transformation.