Religion in Mexico

Religion In Mexico

Religion in Mexico (2010)

Catholic Church (82.7%) Other Christians (9.7%) Other religions (2.9%) Non-religious (4.7%)

Mexico has no official religion, and the Constitution of 1917 imposed limitations on the church and sometimes codified state intrusion into church matters. The government does not provide financial contributions to the church, nor does the church participate in public education. However, Christmas is a national holiday and every year during Easter and Christmas all schools in Mexico, public and private, send their students on vacation.

In 1992, Mexico lifted almost all restrictions on the religions, including granting all religious groups legal status, conceding them limited property, and lifting restrictions on the number of priests in the country. Until recently, priests did not have the right to vote, and even now they cannot be elected to public office.

The Catholic Church is the dominant religion in Mexico, with about 82.7% of the population as of 2010. In recent decades the number of Catholics has been declining, due to the growth of other Christian denominations (especially various Protestant churches and Mormonism), which now constitute 9.7% of the population, and non-Christian religions. An estimated 2 to 5 million Mexicans (~2% to ~4.5%) adhere to the Santa Muerte Religion, though most of them continue to declare themselves as members of the Catholic Church. Movements of return and revival of the indigenous Mesoamerican religions (Mexicayotl, Toltecayotl, Chichimecayotl, Tlamanalcayotl) have also appeared in recent decades. Islam and Buddhism have both made limited inroads, through immigration and conversion.