Religion by Country
Religion in Brazil: Statistics, Demographics & Evangelical Growth
Brazil remains the world's largest Catholic-majority nation, but its 2022 census recorded a historic surge in evangelical Protestantism and a steadily growing unaffiliated population.
Quick answer
Brazil's 2022 census recorded Catholics at 56.7% of the population, down from 65.1% in 2010, while evangelical and other Protestant Christians rose to 26.9% (from 21.6%), and people with no religion grew to 9.3% (from 7.9%). Brazil remains home to the largest Catholic population of any country in the world by absolute numbers, despite decades of decline.
- Largest religion
- Catholicism — 56.7%
- Fastest-growing group
- Evangelical / Protestant — 26.9%
- No religion
- 9.3%
- Data source
- Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)
- Reference year
- Census 2022
Brazil at a glance
Brazil's 2022 census, conducted by the national statistics agency IBGE, confirmed a decades-long trend: steady Catholic decline paired with rapid evangelical Protestant growth. Catholics fell from 65.1% of the population in 2010 to 56.7% in 2022, while evangelicals rose from 21.6% to 26.9% over the same period — among the fastest sustained shifts in religious affiliation recorded anywhere in the world. Despite the decline, Brazil's roughly 100 million Catholics still make it the largest Catholic population of any country on earth.
| Religion | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 100.2 million | 56.7% |
| Evangelical / Protestant | 47.4 million | 26.9% |
| No religion | 16.4 million | 9.3% |
| Other (Spiritist, Afro-Brazilian, other) | ≈ 12.6 million | 7.1% |
The major religious groups
Catholicism (56.7%) remains Brazil's majority religion, a legacy of Portuguese colonisation from the 16th century, though its share has fallen by more than eight percentage points in just over a decade. Evangelical and other Protestant Christianity (26.9%) is Brazil's fastest-growing religious category, driven overwhelmingly by Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal denominations that have built a major presence in poorer urban areas through extensive local church networks and media, including dedicated television and radio stations. People with no religion (9.3%) form a smaller but steadily growing group, roughly in line with secularisation trends across much of Latin America.
Afro-Brazilian and syncretic traditions
The remaining roughly 7% includes Spiritism (Kardecism), which has a distinctly large following in Brazil relative to most other countries, and Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda, which blend West African, Indigenous and Catholic influences and remain culturally significant even among Brazilians who do not formally identify with them. Many Brazilians also practise a degree of religious syncretism, participating in both Catholic and Afro-Brazilian or Spiritist rites.
Political and social significance of evangelical growth
The rise of evangelical Christianity has become a major factor in Brazilian politics and media, with evangelical voting blocs and prominent televangelist-linked churches playing an increasingly visible role in national elections. For comparison with another historically Catholic Latin American society undergoing a similar Protestant shift, see religion in Mexico.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main religion in Brazil?
Catholicism is Brazil's majority religion at 56.7% of the population according to the 2022 census, though this share has declined sharply from 65.1% in 2010 as evangelical Protestantism has grown.
Why is evangelical Christianity growing so fast in Brazil?
Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal evangelical denominations have expanded rapidly through extensive local church networks, community services and dedicated media presence, particularly in poorer urban areas, growing from 21.6% of the population in 2010 to 26.9% in 2022.
Does Brazil have the largest Catholic population in the world?
Yes, by absolute numbers — despite its declining share of the population, Brazil's roughly 100.2 million Catholics make it home to the largest national Catholic population of any country in the world.
What are Candomblé and Umbanda?
Candomblé and Umbanda are Afro-Brazilian religious traditions that blend West African, Indigenous Brazilian and Catholic influences. They form part of Brazil's 'other' religious category and remain culturally influential even among Brazilians who identify primarily with Catholicism or evangelical Christianity.
Sources & methodology
Figures are from the 2022 Census of Brazil, conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which records self-declared religious affiliation for the full population.
- Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Census 2022, religion results (IBGE News Agency).