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Religion in Brazil
The Constitution of Brazil guarantees freedom of religion and strongly prohibits the establishment of any religion by banning government support or hindrance of religion at all levels. Christianity is the largest religion in Brazil and it has the second largest Christian population in the world.
Among Christians in Brazil, Catholics have the most adherents followed by Protestants. In fact, it has the world’s largest Catholic population. Other Christian groups include Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and smaller churches.
Brazil possesses a richly spiritual society formed from the meeting of the Catholic Church with the religious traditions of enslaved Africans and indigenous people. In recent decades, there has been a great increase in Neo-Pentecostal churches and in Afro-Brazilian religions, which has decreased the number of members of the Roman Catholic Church. Other religions include Umbandists, Candomblers, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and other groups.
read about the Population of Brazil
Religion By Percentage
According to the 2010 census, Christianity is followed by 88.77% of the Brazilian population. Among Christians, 64.63% of the population followed Roman Catholicism; 22.2% Protestantism; 2.0% Kardecist spiritism; 3.2% other religions, undeclared or undetermined; while 8.0% have no religion.
There is a small population professing Buddhism (215 000), Judaism (107 000), Islam (35 000), Shinto, Rastafarian, and many other religions.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 88.77% |
| – Catholicism | – 64.60% |
| – Protestantism | – 22.20% |
| – Other Christians | – 1.98% |
| None | 8% |
| Spiritism | – 2% |
| Other religion | 3.20% |
Source: 2010 Census report
Christanity in Brazil
Christianity is the Majority Religion in Brazil. Until recently Catholicism was overwhelmingly dominant but Changes in the 21st century have led to a growth in secularism (no religious affiliation), and to Evangelical Protestantism. So for a more accurate reflection of current trends, we have taken the reference of Latino Barometer Survey in 2020
According to a 2020 report by the Latino barometer, 54.20% of the population identify themselves as Catholics. Next comes the various denomination of Protestants, combinedly followed by 25.9% of the population.
Of Protestants, Evangelicals are the largest group followed by Pentecostals and Adventists. Rest are other smaller protestants groups. There is also a small number of people who identify with another form of Christianity Jehovah’s Witness,(0.7%), ‘Spiritist’ (2%), and unspecified (0.3%).
| Christians/ Affiliations | Percentage |
| Catholic | 54.20% |
| Protestants | 25.9% |
| – Evangelical | – 20.50% |
| – Evangelical baptism | – 0.30% |
| – Evangelical Pentecostal | – 3.70% |
| – Adventist | – 0.60% |
| – Protestant | – 0.80% |
| Other Christians | 3% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 0.70% |
| – African American Cults/Umbanda | – 2.00% |
| – Believers, do not belong to the church | – 0.30% |
Source: https://www.latinobarometro.org/
Non-Christian religions
Other religions in Brazil are at 2.80% of Brazil’s Population and include Buddhism (215 000), Judaism (107 000), Islam (35 000), Hindusim, Shinto, Rastafarian, and many other religions. They comprise 21st-century immigrants from East Asia, the Middle East, or of recent immigrant descent.
Buddhism is probably the largest of all minority religions, with about 215,000 followers. Brazil is home to the third-largest Buddhist population in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. Brazil has the second-largest Jewish population in Latin America of 120 000 people, making up a total of 0.06% of Brazil’s population.
Islam is a minority religion, first brought by African slaves and then by Lebanese and Syrian immigrants. The number of Muslims in Brazil, according to the 2010 census, was 35,207.
Most of the Brazilian Hindus are ethnic East Indians. However, there are new converts due to the missionary effects of Hare Krishnas.
| Non-Christian religions | Percentage |
| Other | 2.80% |
| – Buddhism | – 1 % |
| – Jews | < 1% |
| – Hinduism | < 1% |
| – Islam | < 1% |
| – smaller faiths | < 1 % |
| No Affiliations | 13.90% |
| – Agnostic | 0.40% |
| – Atheist | 0.50% |
| – None | 12.10% |
| – Don´t know | 0.50% |
| – No answer | 0.40% |
Source: https://www.latinobarometro.org/
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