{"id":295466,"date":"2026-03-26T09:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:51:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:51:07","slug":"many-latin-americans-especially-protestants-see-a-role-for-religion-in-national-leadership-identity-and-laws","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/03\/26\/many-latin-americans-especially-protestants-see-a-role-for-religion-in-national-leadership-identity-and-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Many Latin Americans \u2013 especially Protestants \u2013 see a role for religion in national leadership, identity and laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Millions of Latin Americans will head to the polls this year, with presidential elections planned in Peru in April, Colombia in May and Brazil in October.<\/em> Clear majorities in these three countries see a role for religion in key aspects of public life, as do many others elsewhere in the region, according to Pew Research Center surveys<\/a> conducted in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protestants \u2013 who account for a relatively small share of the population in each of the six Latin American countries we surveyed \u2013 often stand out as especially inclined to favor a strong role for Christianity in their country\u2019s leadership, national identity and laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This analysis examines the role of religion in public life in Latin America. It focuses on several of the largest countries in the region: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Peru are the five most populous<\/a> countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Chile has the region\u2019s seventh-largest population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center conducts opinion surveys, demographic studies and other research to better understand the role of religion in society, among other topics. Some of our recent reports on religion and spirituality around the world have focused on religion in Latin America<\/a>, beliefs about life after death<\/a> and religious nationalism around the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This analysis is based mainly on Pew Research Center surveys conducted in spring 2024 that included more than 6,200 Latin American adults (ages 18 and older). As part of the analysis, we examined respondents\u2019 attitudes based on where they place themselves on an ideological scale ranging from \u201cExtreme left\u201d to \u201cExtreme right.\u201d We then categorized people as being left, center or right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the\u00a0questions used for this analysis<\/a>, along with detailed responses, and the\u00a0survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who funded this work? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This analysis was produced by Pew Research Center as part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project<\/a>, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world. Funding for this phase of the Global Religious Futures project comes from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation (grant 63095). This publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Religion and national leaders<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As of 2024, around two-thirds of adults in Brazil, Colombia and Peru say having a president who stands up for people with their religious beliefs is somewhat or very important (rather than not too or not at all important). In Argentina, Chile and Mexico, closer to half of all adults take the same position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t
In some countries, majorities value presidents who stand up for people with their religious beliefs<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
% who say it is very\/somewhat important <\/strong>to have a president who stands up for people with your religious beliefs, by religious identity<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Note: Protestants in Mexico are not shown separately due to insufficient sample size. Statistically significant differences are in bold.<\/strong><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Spring 2024 Global Attitudes Survey.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t