5/3/2013
The majority of U.S. Hispanics are Catholic, although this proportion is shifting, according to Gallup. Catholics make up 54% of the U.S. Hispanic population, down from 58% in 2008. Protestants’ share of the Hispanic population has stayed consistent during that time (28% in 2013 and 17% in 2008), while the proportion of Hispanics who don’t identify with any organized religion has grown from 11% to 15% during this time.
Protestant Hispanics are more likely than Catholic Hispanics to describe themselves as “very religious” (60% vs. 43%), which is defined as attending religious services every week or almost every week and feeling that religion is an important part of daily life. Protestant Hispanics are also more likely than Protestant Americans overall to be very religious (60% vs. 51%). There are no significant differences in religious fervor between Hispanic Catholics and Catholics overall, however.
Hispanic adults over age 50 are more likely than younger adults to be Catholic; there are no age-based differences in the proportions of Hispanics who are Protestant.
Source: “U.S. Hispanic Population Less Religious, Shrinking,” February 2013, Gallup, Frank Newport, Editor in Chief, 502 Carnegie Center, #300, Princeton, NJ 08540; 609-924-9600; www.gallup.com. Price: Available online at no charge.
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