1. Home
  2. Regions
  3. Latin America
  4. Latin America

Latin American religious shifts may see rightward turn

Thursday, February 8, 2018

The Catholic Church is losing adherents, but many are turning to more conservative ‘evangelical’ churches

Although the number of (often more liberal) non-religious is rising in the region, a sharp rise in evangelicals may in part be a pushback against secular and liberal trends

Source: Latinobarometro; Pew Research Center

Outlook

Although the election of the first Latin American pope, Francis, in 2013, was expected to strengthen Catholic fervour in the region, this has not proved to be the case, with the numbers identifying with no religion or with conservative Protestant (evangelical) churches increasing.

Many former Catholics have joined evangelical churches and the fact that their adherents are as a whole younger and more devout suggests that recent social policy shifts may be reversed in many countries.

The result of the February 4 Costa Rican presidential elections, in which a backlash against same-sex marriage boosted an evangelical pastor into the lead, may prove to be a bellwether.

Impacts

  • In Brazil’s presidential contest, both leftist Marina Silva and rightist Jair Bolsonaro will get a boost from the evangelical vote.
  • Issues such as abuse scandals involving the Catholic clergy are but one factor, although these have reduced public confidence in the Church.
  • Demographics suggest that this trend may strengthen, with evangelicals expanding among the young and the poor in particular.

See also