Irreligion in Guatemala is a minority of the population, as Christianity is the predominant faith in the country. [1] Irreligion has grown in the country since the 1990s. Most Guatemalans are Christian through cultural influence, and politically the Church still has a good relationship with the government.
According to the World Values Survey, 3.6% do not believe in God. [2] According to ARDA investigations, 15% is non-believer or atheistic. [3] According to the national Survey Prodatos, in 2016, [4] 11% of the population reported being non-religious. In 2002, according to nationwide surveys, 11.7% reported themselves as non-religious, whilst it was 9.5% in the metropolitan area. In other regions the percentage were substantially higher, being 15.4% in the north-west and 17.7% in Peten. [5] [6] By 1998-1999, the Department of Health survey found that 16% of population was irreligious. [7]
During the 2010s, Pew Research Center reported that no more than 5% of the Guatemalan population was irreligious. This change of criteria could be influenced by the increase of poverty from 51% to 59% between 2006 and 2014, [8] along with the resistant conservative branch in the political environment.
According to the Guatemala constitution all citizens have the right to practice or not practice the religion of their choice. [9]
Atheism is prevalent amongst the Latino population. [10] [11]