Saying 'Yes' to God, but 'No' to Church: The Religious Shift for Many Latin Americans

For centuries, Latin America was synonymous with Catholicism, a status solidified when Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina became the first Latin American pope in 2013. With over 575 million Catholics, the region holds more than 40% of the global Catholic population, making it the spiritual center of the Church. Europe and Africa follow with roughly 20% each.

However, the religious landscape in Latin America is shifting. Protestant and Pentecostal movements have grown significantly, rising from 4% of the population in 1970 to nearly 20% by 2014. At the same time, many Latin Americans are stepping away from organized religion, though personal faith remains strong.

Decline in Institutional Religion

In 2014, 8% of Latin Americans reported no religious affiliation, double the percentage raised without religion, indicating that many left the church as adults. Recent research based on two decades of survey data from over 220,000 people across 17 countries shows that this trend has accelerated. Between 2004 and 2023, the share of unaffiliated individuals increased from 7% to more than 18%, rising in 15 of the 17 countries studied. Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina have the highest rates of unaffiliated individuals, while Guatemala, Peru, and Paraguay remain the most traditionally religious.

Church attendance has also declined. From 2008 to 2023, the proportion of Latin Americans attending church monthly dropped from 67% to 60%, while those who never attend grew from 18% to 25%. Generational patterns are clear: younger cohorts attend church less frequently than older ones, with only 35% of people born in the 1990s attending regularly.

Personal Faith Remains Strong

Despite declining affiliation and attendance, Latin Americans maintain strong personal religious beliefs. In 2010, 85% considered religion important in daily life. By 2023, the percentage reporting religion as "very important" rose to 64%, even as those who said it was "somewhat important" fell to 19%. Younger generations show increasing personal commitment, suggesting that faith continues even as institutional ties weaken.

This divergence between institutional participation and personal belief is unique to Latin America. While religious affiliation and church attendance decline, individual spirituality remains robust. Eighty-six percent of unaffiliated Latin Americans still believe in God or a higher power, compared with 30% in Europe and 69% in the United States. Many also hold beliefs in angels, miracles, and the second coming of Jesus, illustrating that leaving formal religion does not equate to abandoning faith.

Cultural and Historical Influences

Latin Americas faith patterns are shaped by a blend of Catholic, Indigenous, and Protestant traditions. Limited clergy presence in rural areas historically encouraged independent religious practices, including home rituals and local festivals. These unique cultural factors mean traditional measures of religious declinebased on affiliation and attendancedo not fully capture the regions vibrant personal religiosity.

Ultimately, the Latin American experience demonstrates that personal faith can flourish even as institutional structures weaken, offering a distinctive perspective on the evolution of religion in the modern world.

Author: Natalie Monroe