Irreligion in Latin America

Irreligious Latin Americans
Total population
Population in Latin America:
Not religious: 16%
Religious: 84%
Religions
Irreligion (Nones)
(including agnosticism, atheism, deism, skepticism, freethought/freethinker, secular humanism, ignosticism, Nonbeliever, Non-theist, Rationalist)

Irreligion in Latin America refers to various types of irreligion, including atheism, agnosticism, deism, secular humanism, secularism and non-religious. According to a global survey conducted in 2011, 16% of the population has no religion (13% of non-religious, 2% atheists convinced and 1% didn't know answer).[1][2][3]

Percentage by country

CountryPercentage of the Local PopulationPopulation in
(millions)
Uruguay Uruguay 40.4,[4] 47[5] 1.4, 1.6
Cuba Cuba 24,[6] 40[7] 2.8, 4.6
Chile Chile 25[8] 4.1
El Salvador El Salvador 14,[9] 24[10] 0.85, 1.4
Guatemala Guatemala 18.3[11] 2.6
Argentina Argentina 11.3,[12] 16[13] 4.6, 6.6
Nicaragua Nicaragua 15.7[14] 0.911
Belize Belize 15.6[15] 0.051
Costa Rica Costa Rica 11.3[16] 0.528
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic 7,[17] 10.6[18] 0.875, 1.2
Venezuela Venezuela 8,[19] 11.7[17] 2.0, 3.2
Ecuador Ecuador 8.05[20] 1.2
Brazil Brazil 8.04[21] 16.1
Colombia Colombia 7[22] 3.3
Peru Peru 6.6[23] 2.0
Honduras Honduras 6[13] 0.508
Panama Panama 5.1[13] 0.166
Mexico Mexico 4.7[21] 5.4
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico 4[24] 0.142
Bolivia Bolivia 3[25] 0.318
Paraguay Paraguay 2[26] 0.142
Haiti Haiti 1[27] 0.095

Central America and Caribbean

Belize

According to the 2010 census, about 15.6% of the population of Belize is not religious (6.2% atheists and 9.4% non-religious).

Costa Rica

Approximately 9% of the Costa Rican population is not religious (6% non-religious and 3% atheists).

Cuba

Estimates of the Cuban people without religion varies from 24% to 40%, the number of atheists also varies from 10% to 20%. Because of communist influence in the country, atheism has grown and is promoted in the population. Religious organizations are prohibited from promoting their faith to the population (at least not publicly).

Dominican Republic

Atheists and agnostics in Dominican Republic is about 10.6% of the population, other studies place it at 7%.

El Salvador

El Salvador is the less religious country in Central America, this percentage varies from 14% to 24%, is this last, 13% are atheist and 11% are people with out religion.

Guatemala

According to a series of public opinion surveys (mainly CBN and CID Gallup Poll), Guatemala has had a progressive advance of irreligion, from 11.1% in 1990 to 14.2% in 2001 and 18.3% in 2008. The percentage of atheists round by 10% and 8.3% is considered simply non-religious.

Haiti

In Haiti atheists or non-religious is barely 1%, Haiti is more religious than any other country in the Western Hemisphere.

Honduras

In Honduras 6% is considered without religion (3% non-religious and 3% atheists)

Mexico

Main article: Irreligion in Mexico

According to a 2010 census by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the percentage of non-religious is 4.7% (2.7% of atheists convinced) more than five million of non-religious people. A survey question in 2006 by CID-Gallup 'Is religion important to you?' 20.5% said no, and almost 5% did not answer or said sometimes.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua has also experienced a decline in religious affiliation, according to the 1995 census, about 8.5% of Nicaraguans had no religion, although the 2005 census shows an increase to 15.7%, of which 9% is non-religious and 6.7% atheists.

Panama

About 5% of Panamanians are irreligious (3% non-religious and 2% atheists).

Puerto Rico

Irreligion in Puerto Rico is a new phenomenon, about 4% of Puerto Ricans today have not religion (3% non-religious and 1% atheists).

South America

Argentina

A survey conducted in August 2008 (CEIL / CONICET) reports that 11.3% of Argentines are non-religious. It is observed that 90% believe in God and 10% do not. Gender, age, education level and geographical location have all been cited as variables for irreligion. Among men aged 18-29, those with better education and those from the most progressive, "modern" areas tend towards a lack of belief in God (83% and 89%).[12] A CID-Gallup poll affirms that in Argentina 16% of the population claims to be irreligious (8% non-religious and 8% atheists)

Bolivia

In Bolivia a large majority of the population is fanatically religious, of which only 3% of the population is atheist, agnostic or non-religious. A study of the city of Sucre estimated that 7% have no religion (the least religious area of the country).

Brazil

Main article: Irreligion in Brazil

Although in Brazil a large majority of the population is religious a demographic census in 2000 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said that 7.3% of the population is atheist, agnostic or non-religious (12 million). In 2010, the IBGE revealed that the increase to 8.3% (15 million),although the increase was only 1%, but in quantity amounted to three million increase.[28]

Chile

In Chile, the proportion of people who are religious fell from 92% in 1995 to 75% in 2013 (according to the Latinobarometro). In 1995 the percentage of agnostics or atheists was 8%, but in 2011 and 2013 had reached 25% (4 million people). Almost 15% of chileans are atheist and 10% non-religious.In September 2011, a group of atheists founded the Atheist Society of Chile (In Spanish: Sociedad Atea de Chile).[8]

Colombia

According to a national census of Colombia from 1997 to 2004, non-religious people increased from 2.2% to 7% and convinced atheists remain at 0.4%. Interestingly according Americas Barometer reveals little change for 2009, placing a 6.1% non-religious and atheists convinced 0.6%. In Colombian modern areas there are atheist organizations. Atheists are discriminated and prosecuted in Colombia.[22]

Ecuador

According to the National Statistics Institute of Ecuador in 2011, 8.05% of Ecuadorians have not religion (7.94% atheists and 0.11% agnostics). There are atheists and secular organizations in the capital (Quito).

Paraguay

Only 2% of the Paraguayan population is considered non-religious, Catholicism is still the dominant religion, Paraguay is the most Catholic country in the Americas.

Peru

The non-religious population has been doubling between 1993 and 2007, according to the National Institute of Statistics Informaticas (INEI), in 1993 1.9% declared no religion (0.4% of atheists convinced), then in the 2007 this percentage increased to 2.7% (1.3% of atheists convinced). Although a survey by Phil Zuckerman showed that the percentage was 5.5%, also he see a reduction of 96% religious in 1993 to 86% in 2007.[23]

Uruguay

Main article: Irreligion in Uruguay

Uruguay is the most secularized nation in the Americas with the highest percentage of atheists and agnostics.[29] 17.2% atheist or agnostic according to Uruguayan census.[30] While according to the most recent official survey approximately 58.1% of Uruguayans define themselves as Christian,[31] Many Uruguayans nominally describe themselves as Roman Catholics but lifestyle is not affected by the religion.[32]

According Kaufmann, E. (2010), between 29% to 53% (Endorsed by 47%) of Uruguayans are not religious, more than half are atheists and the other part is distributed between agnostics and non-religious,[5] according to a national census conducted in 2007, 40% of Uruguayans are not religious, 20% believe in God but do not belong to any religion, 17% are atheists or agnostics, and 3% didn't know answer.[33]

Irreligion in Uruguay is not a new phenomenon, although is growing considerably. Uruguay in religious and irreligious terms is similar to Europe, where modernization, economic growth, have brought atheism, since 1990, Uruguayans referred Easter Week as "Tourism Week". Uruguay is also the most democratic country in the region observed for its civic culture.

Venezuela

In Venezuela secularization has been influencing the country, this is due to the increasing modernization of the country and improvement of education, during the last century Venezuela was one of the most religious countries with a dominant Catholicism, although in the early twenty-first century Protestants, atheists, agnostics, among other religions have grown in the country, the most professional people (scientists, doctors, writers, etc.) are often less believers. According to a study by the University of Cambridge, 11.7% of Venezuelans are without religion (atheists 6% and 5.7% of non-religious), also a national study estimated that 6% of Venezuelans are agnostics and 2% atheists (in total of 8% of the population).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "RELIGION AND ATHEISM" (PDF). Atheistalliance.org. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  2. ↑ Adam Lee. "The Coming Atheist Demographic Tide". Big Think. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "A secular Latin America? - The Christian Century". The Christian Century. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Encuesta Nacional de Hogares Amplidada - 2006" (PDF) (in Spanish). Ine.gub.uy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  5. 1 2 "Atheism to Defeat Religion By 2038". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Religion In Cuba". Prolades.com. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Zuckerman, Phil. "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns", from the Cambridge Companion to Atheism, edited by Michael Martin, University of Cambridge Press, 2007
  8. 1 2 "Disminuyen los católicos y crecen los agnósticos en Chile". La segunda online. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  9. ↑ "International Religious Freedom Report for 2014". U.S. State Department. 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  10. ↑ CID Gallup Poll Latinoamerica
  11. ↑ Clifton L. Holland (8 February 2009). "Public Opinion Polls on Religious Affiliation in Guatemala: 1990-2008" (PDF). prolades.com. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  12. 1 2 Mallimaci, Fortunato; Esquivel, Juan Cruz; Irrazabal, Gabriela. "PRIMERA ENCUESTA SOBRE CREENCIAS Y ACTITUDES RELIGIOSAS EN ARGENTINA" (PDF). CEIL/CONICET. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  13. 1 2 3 "Table Of Statistics On Religion In The Americas". Prolades.com. April 2001. Retrieved 2011-02-04. CID Gallup survey
  14. ↑ "2005 Nicaraguan Census" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics and Census of Nicaragua (in Spanish). pp. 42–43. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-29. Retrieved 30 October 2007.
  15. ↑ Belize Population and Housing Census 2010: Country Report (PDF). Belmopan, Belize C.A.: Statistical Institute of Belize. 2013. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-03. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  16. ↑ International Religious Freedom Report 2008: Costa Rica. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  17. 1 2 Zuckerman, Phil (2007). "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns". The Cambridge Companion to Atheism. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 1-139-82739-1. Archived from the original on October 21, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  18. ↑ "2010 Report on International Religious Freedom – Dominican Republic". UNHCR. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  19. ↑ Jesús María Aguirre (June 2012). "Informe sociográfico sobre la religión en Venezuela" [Sociographic report on religion in Venezuela] (PDF) (in Spanish). gumilla.org. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  20. ↑ (Spanish) El 80% de ecuatorianos es católico
  21. 1 2 IBGE - Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics). 2010 Census. Accessed 07.08.2012.
  22. 1 2 "Colombia". Vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Peru Seen As One Of World’s Most Religious Countries". Peruvian Times. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  24. ↑ Puerto Rico - Information
  25. ↑ Alejandro Díaz‐Domínguez (2009). "Perspectivas desde el Barómetro de las Américas: 2009, No. 29" (PDF). americasbarometer.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2010.
  26. ↑ "2002 census data". Dgeec.gov.py. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  27. ↑ "Haiti: People and Society". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  28. ↑ "IBGE - Sala de imprensa - notícias". Ibge.gov.br. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  29. ↑ "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns 1" (PDF). Pitzer.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
  30. ↑ Michael Martin (30 October 2006). The Cambridge Companion to Atheism. Cambridge University Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-139-82739-3. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  31. ↑ "Encuesta Nacional de Hogares Amplidada - 2006" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics (in Spanish). INHA. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  32. ↑ Leslie Jermyn; Winnie Wong (2009). Uruguay. Marshall Cavendish. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7614-4482-4. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  33. ↑ "Uruguay Segment of 2010 International Religious Freedom Report". Archives.uruguay.usembassy.gov. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
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