Religious Demographic Profile
Guatemala
According to the most recent Guatemalan Demographic and Health Survey,1 which presents statistics for a nationally representative sample of women between the ages of 15 to 49, approximately 52.6% of the population is Catholic and 29.4% is Evangelical or Protestant. The next largest category is comprised of those who said they have no religion (15.6%). Indigenous Mayans make up 0.5% of the population. The survey does not break down the remaining 1.9% associated with other religions.
The general Guatemalan Census does not ask questions about religion, but the Demographic and Health Surveys are carried out by the same organization responsible for the Census, the Guatemalan National Statistics Institute. It should be pointed out that religious adherence rates on censuses tend to be slightly higher for women in most countries. Adherence levels likewise can, but do not always, differ by age.
A comparison of the findings of the 1995 and 1998-99 Demographic and Health Surveys shows that although Catholics remain the largest group in Guatemala, the situation is changing, just as it is in other Latin American countries.
| Religious Affiliation, Demographic and Health Surveys | ||
| 1998-99 | 1995 | |
| Catholic | 52.6% | 60.7 |
| Protestant | 29.4% | 25.9 |
| Non-affiliated | 15.6% | 11.2 |
| Other | 1.9% | 1.5 |
| Mayan | 0.5% | 0.7 |
During the short period between the two surveys, Protestants increased as a share of the population from 25.9% to 29.4%, while the number of Catholics decreased from 60.7% to 52.6%. The lower Catholic estimate reflects not only the growth in Protestants but also the growth in the number of non-affiliated, which rose from 11.2% in 1995 to 15.6% in 1998-99.
The 2006 Forum survey of adults 18 years and older was based on a national probability sample of Guatemala's population of approximately 12 million.2 In the survey, 48% identified themselves as Catholic and 34% as Protestant. These findings are generally in line with the trend toward greater Protestant and lesser Catholic affiliation reflected in the Guatemalan Demographic and Health Surveys. In the Forum survey, 15% said they were unaffiliated.
According to the Forum survey, renewalists - including charismatics and Pentecostals - account for approximately six-in-ten of Guatemala's population. More than eight-in-ten Protestants are either pentecostal or charismatic, and six-in-ten Catholics surveyed can be classified as charismatic.
| Renewalists in Guatemala, Forum 2006 Survey | |||
| Renewalist | Pentecostal | Charismatic | |
| Total Population | 60% | 20 | 40 |
| Catholic | 62% | NA | 62 |
| Protestant | 85% | 58 | 27 |
Notes
2See the introduction to this report for a discussion of survey methodology and definitions.
