Understanding the Opportunity: The Latino Community by the Numbers
Latino Religious Affiliation
How U.S. Hispanics identify themselves
70% “I am Catholic”—29 million
23% “I am Protestant” (or “other Christian”)—9.5 million
This includes Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, though 85 percent of all U.S. Latino Protestants identify themselves as Pentecostal or evangelical (6.2 million)
37% “I am ‘born again’” (or evangelical)—14.2 million
This includes Catholic charismatics (22 percent of U.S. Latino Catholics). Twenty-six percent of all Latino Catholics self-identify as “born again”: 7.6 million.
1% “I follow another world religion”
such as Buddhism, Islam or Judaism.
0.37% “I am an atheist” (or agnostic)
Religious Affiliation by Generation
1st Generation Latino immigrants:
74% Catholic
15% Protestant
2nd Generation
72% Catholic
20% Protestant
3rd Generation
62% Catholic
29% Protestant
—Hispanic Church in American Public Life survey
“God calls the church to be a healing community that responds to the spirit, soul and body needs of the people. As it meets these needs, the church gains the right to be heard and is empowered to lead souls to Christ.”
—Raymond Rivera in Liberty to the Captives: Our Call to Minister in a Captive World. Rivera is senior pastor of Sanctuary Church, New York, N.Y., and president of the Latino Pastoral Action Center.
