Study Shows Brazil's 'Changing Religious Landscape'
Protestant Communities Growing in Country With Greatest Number of Catholics
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 19, 2013 (Zenit.org) - The Pew Research Center released
an analysis Thursday titled "Brazil's Changing Religious Landscape."
The report notes that Brazil still has more Catholics than any
other country in the world, at an estimated 123 million. Yet, the percentage of
Catholics in Brazil has been dropping steadily.
The percentage of Brazilians who belong to Protestant communities
has been rising, and there is also a steady increase in the number of
Brazilians who do not identify with religion.
In 1970, the study shows, Brazil was 92% Catholic. In 2010, that
figure had dropped to 65%.
Protestants made up 22% of the population in 2010 (about 42
million people), up from 15% of the population in 2000 (with about 26 million
people). The study did not include Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses as
Protestants.
As Francis arrives to Brazil for World Youth Day next week, he
will find that Brazilian young people are precisely the least Catholic age
group. As of 2010, 73% of Brazilians ages 70 and older are Catholic, while 63%
of those ages 15-29 identify as Catholic.
Protestants in 2010 made up 22% of Brazilians ages 15-29, and 10%
of 15-to 29-year-olds had no religious affiliation.
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