The eclipse of traditional faith? The religious shift redefining Argentina and Latin America

The spiritual panorama of Latin America has been going through an unprecedented structural transformation over the last century. 

According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, the proportion of adults identifying as Catholic has dropped by at least nine percentage points in six of the most populated nations in the region over the last decade. 

This change is not superficial, but rather reflects a tectonic movement in the cultural identity of contemporary Latin American societies.

Diversification of belief

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which together harbour three-quarters of the regional population, show a consistent trend towards diversification of other beliefs.

“The proportion of Catholics in several Latin American countries has decreased in the last 10 years, whereas a growing percentage of adults have no religious affiliation,” note authors Kirsten Lesage, Jonathan Evans, Manolo Corinchi and Skylar Thomas in the Pew Research Center report.

In this scenario, the group called “none”or no affiliation – atheists, agnostics or people with no particular religion – has emerged as the fastest-growing force. While Catholicism is losing ground, the unaffiliated sector has increased by at least seven points in all assessed countries.

This phenomenon has seen those with no clear religious affiliation overtake the number of Protestants in several nations, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Scale of change

Historical comparison reveals the scale of the change over time. In the early 20th century, the vast majority of Latin Americans were practising Catholics by tradition and heritage. However, by the end of the century, the erosion was already visible.

Argentina is a perfect example: in 1900, 97 percent of its total population called themselves Catholic – a figure which had fallen to 82 percent by the year 2000.

Indeed, Argentina stands out in the study given its accelerated secularisation and disregard for traditional institutions. Between the period 2013-2014 and the year 2024, the percentage of Catholic adults in the country went down from 71 to 58 percent. This fall of 13 percentage points is a drastic change, only overtaken by larger losses recorded in Colombia, Chile and Brazil.

In contrast to the decline of Catholicism, Argentines with no religious affiliation have doubled in wider society. Currently, 24 percent of adults in Argentina describe themselves as “none,” or no affiliation, as against the scant 11 percent they represented only 10 years ago. This group has overtaken the number of Protestants, which has remained static at 16 percent of the adult population.

The generation gap is one of the most decisive factors behind this new reality. Data indicates that only 47 percent of Argentines aged between 18 and 34 identify as Catholic, while in the bracket of 50 and above, that figure rises to 67 percent. This disparity suggests that the generational relay is distancing itself from the traditional dogmas of the Roman Church.

Spirituality

Despite this, spirituality has not disappeared from the Argentine horizon. The Pew report highlights that 62 percent of those who answered “none” in Argentina still claim to believe in God. This shows that the loss of faith in religious institutions does not necessarily translate into a militant atheism, but a form of belief that is severed from traditional ecclesiastical structures.

Indeed, Latin America continues to be a significantly more religious region than Europe. While in Europe many adults have abandoned Christianity since childhood, in the six surveyed Latin American countries, around nine out of 10 adults still claim to believe in God.

One surprising find from the study is that citizens with no religion in Latin America still show levels of spiritual commitment comparable to those of Christians in Europe. For instance, 62 percent of Argentines who answered “none” believe in God, a similar percentage to the 58 percent of Swedish Christians with the same conviction.

The practice of prayer also shows a remarkable difference between both continents. In Brazil, Colombia and Peru, a third or more of people with no religious affiliation pray at least once a day. This level of spiritual activity is the same as reported by Christians in several European countries, which underlines the persistence of the sacred in Latin American culture.

Even in the personal assessment of faith, contrasts are evident. Nearly 40 percent of adults with no religion in Brazil and Peru consider religion to be very important in their lives. This figure bears a statistical similarity to the importance that Christians in Greece or the Netherlands give their own beliefs.

‘Religious transit’

The phenomenon of “religious transit,” or a change in affiliation, is the main driver behind the shift.

According to the report, approximately two out of every 10 adults in the surveyed countries were raised as Catholics but have since abandoned the Church. In Colombia, 22 percent of the adult population have made this change, most of whom have joined the “none” group.

Brazil stands out as the only case where former Catholics tend to prefer to migrate towards Protestantism than to no affiliation at all. In Argentina’s giant neighbour, 13 percent of adults are former Catholics who now identify as Protestants, whereas only seven percent chose to answer no religion.

Within the Protestant universe, Pentecostalism (an Evangelical movement) – which has experienced a massive boom in previous decades – seems to have lost some internal traction. Although it is still relevant at home, the percentage of Protestants defining themselves as Pentecostals also fell in Argentina from 71 to 54 percent in the last decade.

“Most former Catholics in Latin America now identify as people with no religion or Protestants,” concludes the Pew Research Center report. This migration of believers suggests a dynamic spiritual market where identities are no longer static or inherited for life, thus configuring a regional map where diversity is the new norm.

– TIMES/PERFIL