Argentina religious demographics shift toward private faith

A study by the Observatorio de las Creencias en Argentina (OCREAR) at the University of Buenos Aires reveals significant shifts in the country's religious landscape. While Catholicism remains the majority at 57.7%, this is a sharp decline from the 90% recorded in 1960. The group identifying as having no religious affiliation—including atheists and agnostics—has grown to 22.4%, while Evangelicals now represent 17.4% of the population.

Demographic trends show that the decline in Catholicism is most pronounced among youth aged 16 to 29, where affiliation drops to 44.6%. In contrast, 69% of those over 50 identify as Catholic. Geographically, Catholicism maintains a stronger presence in the country's interior (59.4%) compared to the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, where the unaffiliated group reaches 26.1%.

Regarding religious practice, there is a notable trend toward private spirituality. Approximately 53.7% of respondents reported praying in private over the last year, while only 26.4% attended in-person ceremonies. Evangelicals show higher levels of both private prayer (78.4%) and communal participation (40.3%) compared to Catholics. Despite the shift toward individual faith, religious institutions continue to serve as social support nodes, with 35.5% of the population seeking help from temples or churches for spiritual, health, or economic needs.