SafekipediaReligion in Mexico
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Mexico has many different kinds of religions, but most people there follow Christianity. About 78 out of every 100 people are Catholic, which is a type of Christianity. This means most families in Mexico have strong ties to the Catholic traditions and holidays.
Over the past few decades, the number of Catholics has slowly gone down. More people are joining other Christian groups, like Protestant churches, Jehovah's Witness, and Mormonism. Even though these groups are growing, Mexico still has one of the highest numbers of Catholics in the world, especially in the middle part of the country.
Mexico is a secular country, meaning the government does not favor any one religion. People have been free to practice any religion they choose since the 1800s. During that time, groups like Protestant churches and Judaism became more common. Today, smaller groups such as Evangelical Protestantism, Buddhism, and Islam are also present, though they make up a much smaller part of the population. There are also folk religions like Mexicayotl that some people practice.
Religion and the state
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 placed some limits on the Catholic Church in Mexico. The government did not give money to religious groups, and the Catholic Church did not help with public schools. But important holidays like Christmas and Easter are celebrated by all schools, public and private, which close for vacations during these times.
In 1992, the constitution was changed to remove most of these limits. Religious groups got legal status, could own a little property, and restrictions on the number of priests were lifted. Priests still cannot vote or hold public office.
Historical trends
Over time, the way people in Mexico practice their religion has changed. In the past, almost all people were part of the same Christian group called Catholicism. But today, more people belong to different Christian groups or have no religion at all. Many people have switched between different religious groups over the years.
Abrahamic religions
Christianity
The Catholic Church has been in Mexico since the early 1500s. For a long time, it was the only church allowed there. In the 1800s, other Christian groups began to grow, especially from the United States. Today, many different Christian groups exist in Mexico.
Catholicism
Further information: Catholic Church in Mexico
Catholics make up most of Mexico's people, though this number has been slowly falling. Mexico has the second most Catholics in the world, after Brazil. Important Christian holidays like Day of the Dead and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are celebrated widely.
Eastern Catholicism in Mexico
There are also Eastern Catholic Churches in Mexico, which follow traditions different from the main Catholic Church but still believe in the pope. For example, the Maronite Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church have communities in Mexico.
- the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of the Martyrs of Lebanon in Mexico
- the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso in Mexico City
- the Armenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Latin America and Mexico [citation needed]
Protestantism
Further information: Protestantism in Mexico
About 11% of Mexicans are Protestant, including groups like Pentecostals and Charismatics. Protestantism is more common in areas near Guatemala and the Texas border. It has grown because it offers a simpler way to practice Christianity.
Eastern Orthodoxy
A small number of Mexicans practice Eastern Orthodoxy, mostly people born in other countries.
Seventh-day Adventist
There are also Seventh-day Adventists in Mexico.
Jehovah's Witnesses
The 2000 national census counted more than one million Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Main article: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico
The first LDS missionaries arrived in Mexico in 1875. By 2025, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported over 1.5 million members in Mexico.
La Luz del Mundo
La Luz del Mundo is a Christian group based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Islam
Main article: Islam in Mexico
The Pew Research Center estimated there were about 111,000 Muslims in Mexico in 2010. Most are from Lebanese Mexicans or other Arab Mexicans, with some among indigenous groups in Chiapas.
Judaism
Main article: Judaism in Mexico
Jews have lived in Mexico since 1521. Today, there are over 67,000 Jewish people in Mexico, most living in and around Mexico City.
Bahá'í Faith
Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Mexico
The Bahá'í Faith began in Mexico in the early 1900s. By 1937, the first Mexican joined the religion. Today, there are almost 38,000 Bahá'ís in Mexico.
Indian Religions
Buddhism
Main article: Buddhism in Mexico
About 108,701 people in Mexico practice Buddhism. Mexico City is home to one of only six special centers for Tibetan culture in the world, called Casa Tibet México. It is used by important Tibetan spiritual leaders to share their traditions. There are also two places for a type of Buddhism called Theravada, and at least 30 different Buddhist groups in Mexico.
Hinduism
Main article: Hinduism in Mexico
Mexico has around 800 families from India, making up about 900 people not originally from Mexico. Many of these families have recently moved to work in big companies. There are temples for Hindu spiritual leaders in Mexico City.
Sikhism
Main article: Sikhism by country
About 8,000 people in Mexico follow Sikhism, and most of them have ancestors from Punjab.
Nonreligious
Main article: Irreligion in Mexico
In Mexico, measuring people who do not follow a religion can be tricky. Many people who identify as Catholic or Protestant live in ways that are not very religious. In 2010, the National Census found that about 4.7% of people said they had no religion. According to INEGI, the number of people who say they do not believe in any religion is growing faster than the number of Catholics.
Most people in Mexico believe in a higher power, but fewer people are taking part in religious activities. Surveys show that only about 3% of Catholics go to church every day, while around 44% go at least once a week.
Census information
| Religion | Numbers | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 92,924,489 | 82.72 |
| Anabaptist/Mennonites | 10,753 | 0.01 |
| Baptist | 252,874 | 0.23 |
| Church of the Nazarene | 40,225 | 0.04 |
| Methodist | 25,370 | 0.02 |
| Presbyterian | 437,690 | 0.39 |
| Other historic Protestant | 53.832 | 0.05 |
| Pentecostal | 1,782,021 | 1.59 |
| Other Christian Evangelical | 5,783,442 | 5.15 |
| Seventh day Adventist | 661,878 | 0.59 |
| Mormons | 314,932 | 0.28 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 1,561,086 | 1.39 |
| Eastern religions | 18,185 | 0.02 |
| Judaism | 67,476 | 0.06 |
| Islam | 3,760 | |
| Native religions | 27,839 | 0.02 |
| Spiritualism | 35,995 | 0.03 |
| Other religions | 19,636 | 0.02 |
| No religion | 5,262,546 | 4.68 |
| Not specified | 3,052,509 | 2.72 |
| Notes The 2010 census groups Anabaptists, Baptists, Church of the Nazarene, Methodist, Presbyterian as historic Protestant (Protestante histórica o reformada) with a total number of 820,744 (0.73%). The 2010 census groups Pentecostal with Other Christian Evangelical (Pentecostal/Cristiana/Evangélica) for a total number of 7,565,463 (6.73%). The 2010 census groups Seventh day Adventists, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses together (Bíblica diferente de Evangélica) with a total of 2,537,896 (2.26%). | ||
| State | Catholic | Protestant and Evangelical | Other Christian | Jewish | Other | None | Not specified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguascalientes | 95.6% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.7% | |
| Baja California | 81.4% | 7.9% | 2.7% | 0.2% | 6.2% | 1.6% | |
| Baja California Sur | 89.0% | 4.0% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 3.6% | 0.1% | |
| Campeche | 71.3% | 13.2% | 4.7% | 1.7% | 9.9% | 0.8% | |
| Chiapas | 63.8% | 13.9% | 9.0% | 13.1% | 1.2% | ||
| Chihuahua | 84.6% | 7.1% | 2.0% | 0.1% | 5.1% | 1.1% | |
| Coahuila | 86.4% | 6.8% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 3.8% | 1.1% | |
| Colima | 93.0% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 0.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% | |
| Durango | 90.4% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 2.9% | 0.9% | ||
| Mexico City | 90.5% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 2.9% | 0.7% |
| Guanajuato | 96.4% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 0.7% | |
| Guerrero | 89.2% | 4.4% | 2.0% | 0.4% | 3.1% | 0.9% | |
| Hidalgo | 90.1% | 5.2% | 1.3% | 0.4% | 1.6% | 0.7% | |
| Jalisco | 95.4% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.7% | ||
| Mexico | 91.2% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Michoacán | 94.8% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 1.3% | 0.8% | |
| Morelos | 83.6% | 7.3% | 3.1% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 4.3% | 1.0% |
| Nayarit | 91.8% | 3.0% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 2.9% | 0.7% | |
| Nuevo León | 87.9% | 6.2% | 2.0% | 0.1% | 2.8% | 0.9% | |
| Oaxaca | 84.8% | 7.8% | 2.3% | 0.2% | 4.0% | 0.9% | |
| Puebla | 91.6% | 4.3% | 1.4% | 0.4% | 1.4% | 0.8% | |
| Querétaro | 95.3% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.8% | |
| Quintana Roo | 73.2% | 11.2% | 4.6% | 0.2% | 9.6% | 1.1% | |
| San Luis Potosí | 92.0% | 4.6% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 1.5% | 0.7% | |
| Sinaloa | 86.8% | 2.9% | 2.0% | 7.1% | 1.0% | ||
| Sonora | 87.9% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 4.4% | 1.1% | ||
| Tabasco | 70.4% | 13.6% | 5.0% | 10.0% | 0.8% | ||
| Tamaulipas | 82.9% | 8.7% | 2.4% | 0.2% | 4.9% | 1.0% | |
| Tlaxcala | 93.4% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 0.9% | |
| Veracruz | 82.9% | 6.9% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 5.9% | 0.8% | |
| Yucatán | 84.3% | 8.4% | 3.0% | 0.1% | 3.5% | 0.8% | |
| Zacatecas | 95.1% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 0.8% | ||
| Mexico total | 87.99% | 5.20% | 2.07% | 0.05% | 0.31% | 3.52% | 0.86% |
Freedom of religion
The Constitution of Mexico and other laws protect the freedom of religion in Mexico. Public schools cannot teach religion, but religious groups can run their own private schools.
Religious groups cannot own radio or TV stations. To show religious programs on commercial TV or radio, they need permission from the government.
In 2023, Mexico earned the highest score for religious freedom.
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