139:, many educated Uruguayans were influenced by skeptical European writers and ancient Greek philosophy. After independence, cultured Uruguayans began espousing secular and humanist political views against the Catholic Church and the small (but growing) number of Afro-Brazilian religious practitioners. Control of Uruguay's cemeteries passed to the state in 1861, ending mandatory religious funerals. The
166:
revived the movement early in the 20th century, allowing women to divorce and banning religious symbols from children's hospitals. "Batllism" enacted total separation of church and state in 1917, when
Uruguay became a republic with a secular constitution and Marxist-inspired economic reforms. After
89:, and other beliefs held by intellectual Europeans. The resistance of the indigenous population to evangelization, which prevented the establishment of religion during the colonial era, has also been influential. According to Nestor DaCosta (2003), irreligion has historically been a feature of
131:
were South
America's least powerful; Spanish and Italian priests, less able to teaching religion, preferred to evangelize the rural poor. When Uruguay became a secular republic in 1917, the country began to receive Spanish, Italian, and French immigrants. French immigrants in Uruguay were
608:'s Religion and Public Life Project, Uruguay's nonreligious population will be 42.1 percent by 2050. The irreligious fertility rate is virtually identical to the Christian one, with Christian and nonreligious women giving birth to an average of two children from 2010 to 2015.
103:
have grown significantly. Non-believers are a statistical minority but have been present for more than a century. Some investigations present that in recent times, secularism and non-religious beliefs have grown in the religious landscape of
Uruguay due to the influence of
143:
dominated the government during the mid-1860s, with secular reforms which included civil marriage and the development of technology and urban areas. Many people with little knowledge of
Catholicism became irreligious due to ignorance rather than disbelief.
108:, as in Western Europe. Some experts argue that the number of non-religious people has stagnated, but believers in non-Christian faiths have been growing in numbers in recent decades (Conwell Investigation, 2013)..
126:
and, until the first half of the nineteenth century, the church regulated the state, a number of institutions, and land as it did in other Latin
American countries. According to some historians, the Uruguayan
167:
the
Battlist period (1903–1931), the church focused on educating Catholics and providing a Christian spiritual refuge to all citizens. The Colorado Party's influence was declining, and it was defeated by the
120:
had less influence in
Uruguay than in other Hispanic regions because of the relatively-small number of indigenous peoples. Catholicism was easily introduced to Spaniards and
155:
in
Uruguay. Although Catholic leaders opposed state schools, the educated elite supported the concept of secular schools which taught science. A decade later, Archbishop
665:
132:
traditionally anti-clerical; many
Spanish and Italians immigrants arrived as Catholics, but became independent of religion because of little ecclesiastical influence.
954:
850:
918:
639:
1065:
701:
947:
827:
676:
1098:
1088:
163:
1093:
1055:
940:
817:
733:
1060:
969:
168:
140:
81:
has been the least-religious country in South
America due to nineteenth-century political events influenced by
857:
1032:
977:
1022:
1012:
997:
1002:
982:
992:
643:
1007:
987:
148:
1043:
605:
1017:
882:
596:, the number of irreligious Uruguayans increased from 18 percent in 1995 to 38 percent in 2013.
593:
823:
799:
708:
152:
592:
By 1900, about ten percent of the world's nonreligious people lived in Uruguay. According to
136:
117:
625:
1082:
777:
156:
105:
100:
932:
90:
86:
82:
58:
758:
900:
48:
626:"Encuesta Continua de Hogares (ECH) - Instituto Nacional de Estadística"
128:
122:
96:
78:
38:
28:
936:
734:"Nigel Barber: Uruguay: A Secular Outpost Legalizes Abortion"
162:
Secularism waned for about a decade during the early 1890s.
77:
ranges from 30 to 40 to over 47 percent of the population.
666:"Christianity in its Global Context, 1970–2020 (P.60)"
778:"Explaining How Uruguay Became a 'Religious Ghetto'"
1041:
968:
819:
Uruguay – Leslie Jermyn, Winnie Wong – Google Books
800:"Religion and the Secular State: Uruguayan Report"
948:
8:
1067:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
901:"Annual Table of World Religions, 1900–2025"
955:
941:
933:
178:
116:During the Spanish colonial period, the
617:
919:"Religions in Uruguay | PEW-GRF"
816:Jermyn, Leslie; Wong, Winnie (2010).
7:
73:According to public opinion polls,
14:
642:. 7 February 2019. Archived from
851:"PROLADES – Religión en Uruguay"
159:championed Catholic education.
67: Other/Unspecified (1.2%)
1:
640:"Los uruguayos y la religión"
135:Independent of Spain and the
963:Irreligion in South America
883:"Religion in Latin America"
21:Religion in Uruguay (2021)
1115:
577:
566:
555:
536:
525:
514:
495:
484:
473:
454:
443:
432:
413:
402:
391:
372:
361:
350:
331:
320:
309:
285:
274:
250:
239:
215:
204:
193:
190:
187:
184:
171:in the 1958 election.
1099:Irreligion by country
1089:Irreligion in Uruguay
759:"Religion in Uruguay"
164:José Batlle y Ordóñez
75:irreligion in Uruguay
714:on 23 September 2006
682:on 22 September 2018
1094:Religion in Uruguay
889:. 13 November 2014.
887:Pew Research Center
702:"Flash 6_ Religion"
606:Pew Research Center
41:or Agnostic (14.4%)
673:Gordon Conwell PDF
646:on 14 October 2023
586:AmericasBarometer
91:Uruguayan identity
1076:
1075:
1048:other territories
798:Pereira, Carmen.
604:According to the
590:
589:
153:secular education
149:José Pedro Varela
1106:
1068:
1056:Falkland Islands
970:Sovereign states
957:
950:
943:
934:
927:
926:
915:
909:
908:
897:
891:
890:
879:
873:
872:
870:
868:
862:
856:. Archived from
855:
847:
841:
840:
838:
836:
813:
807:
806:
804:
795:
789:
788:
782:
776:Armet, Stephen.
773:
767:
766:
755:
749:
748:
746:
744:
730:
724:
723:
721:
719:
713:
707:. Archived from
706:
698:
692:
691:
689:
687:
681:
675:. Archived from
670:
662:
656:
655:
653:
651:
636:
630:
629:
622:
580:
569:
558:
539:
528:
517:
498:
487:
476:
457:
446:
435:
416:
405:
394:
375:
364:
353:
334:
323:
312:
288:
277:
253:
242:
218:
207:
179:
137:Empire of Brazil
66:
56:
46:
36:
26:
1114:
1113:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1079:
1078:
1077:
1072:
1066:
1049:
1047:
1037:
964:
961:
931:
930:
917:
916:
912:
899:
898:
894:
881:
880:
876:
866:
864:
863:on 7 March 2022
860:
853:
849:
848:
844:
834:
832:
830:
815:
814:
810:
802:
797:
796:
792:
780:
775:
774:
770:
763:Country Studies
757:
756:
752:
742:
740:
732:
731:
727:
717:
715:
711:
704:
700:
699:
695:
685:
683:
679:
668:
664:
663:
659:
649:
647:
638:
637:
633:
624:
623:
619:
614:
602:
594:Latinobarómetro
583:
578:
572:
567:
561:
556:
545:Conwell Studio
542:
537:
531:
526:
520:
515:
501:
496:
490:
485:
479:
474:
460:
455:
449:
444:
438:
433:
419:
414:
408:
403:
397:
392:
381:Conwell Studio
378:
373:
367:
362:
356:
351:
337:
332:
326:
321:
315:
310:
291:
286:
280:
275:
256:
251:
245:
240:
221:
216:
210:
205:
177:
118:Catholic Church
114:
71:
70:
69:
68:
64:
62:
54:
52:
44:
42:
34:
32:
24:
12:
11:
5:
1112:
1110:
1102:
1101:
1096:
1091:
1081:
1080:
1074:
1073:
1071:
1070:
1063:
1058:
1052:
1050:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1036:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
980:
974:
972:
966:
965:
962:
960:
959:
952:
945:
937:
929:
928:
923:34.194.250.140
910:
892:
874:
842:
828:
808:
790:
768:
750:
725:
693:
657:
631:
616:
615:
613:
610:
601:
598:
588:
587:
584:
581:
576:
573:
570:
565:
562:
559:
554:
551:
547:
546:
543:
540:
535:
532:
529:
524:
521:
518:
513:
510:
506:
505:
502:
499:
494:
491:
488:
483:
480:
477:
472:
469:
465:
464:
461:
458:
453:
450:
447:
442:
439:
436:
431:
428:
424:
423:
420:
417:
412:
409:
406:
401:
398:
395:
390:
387:
383:
382:
379:
376:
371:
368:
365:
360:
357:
354:
349:
346:
342:
341:
338:
335:
330:
327:
324:
319:
316:
313:
308:
305:
301:
300:
297:
295:
292:
289:
284:
281:
278:
273:
270:
266:
265:
262:
260:
257:
254:
249:
246:
243:
238:
235:
231:
230:
227:
225:
222:
219:
214:
211:
208:
203:
200:
196:
195:
192:
189:
186:
185:% Unaffiliated
183:
176:
173:
169:National Party
141:Colorado Party
113:
110:
63:
53:
43:
33:
23:
19:
18:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1111:
1100:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1069:
1064:
1062:
1061:French Guiana
1059:
1057:
1054:
1053:
1051:
1045:
1040:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
975:
973:
971:
967:
958:
953:
951:
946:
944:
939:
938:
935:
924:
920:
914:
911:
906:
902:
896:
893:
888:
884:
878:
875:
859:
852:
846:
843:
831:
829:9780761444824
825:
821:
820:
812:
809:
801:
794:
791:
786:
779:
772:
769:
764:
760:
754:
751:
739:
735:
729:
726:
710:
703:
697:
694:
678:
674:
667:
661:
658:
645:
641:
635:
632:
627:
621:
618:
611:
609:
607:
600:Future trends
599:
597:
595:
585:
574:
563:
552:
549:
548:
544:
533:
522:
511:
508:
507:
503:
492:
481:
470:
467:
466:
462:
451:
440:
429:
426:
425:
421:
410:
399:
388:
385:
384:
380:
369:
358:
347:
344:
343:
339:
328:
317:
306:
303:
302:
298:
296:
293:
282:
271:
268:
267:
263:
261:
258:
247:
236:
233:
232:
228:
226:
223:
212:
201:
198:
197:
181:
180:
174:
172:
170:
165:
160:
158:
157:Mariano Soler
154:
150:
145:
142:
138:
133:
130:
125:
124:
119:
111:
109:
107:
106:postmodernism
102:
98:
94:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
60:
50:
40:
30:
22:
16:
1044:Dependencies
1027:
922:
913:
904:
895:
886:
877:
865:. Retrieved
858:the original
845:
833:. Retrieved
818:
811:
793:
785:ResearchGate
784:
771:
762:
753:
741:. Retrieved
737:
728:
716:. Retrieved
709:the original
696:
684:. Retrieved
677:the original
672:
660:
648:. Retrieved
644:the original
634:
620:
603:
591:
161:
146:
134:
121:
115:
95:
74:
72:
57: Other
20:
15:
867:2 September
686:2 September
188:% Christian
101:agnosticism
1083:Categories
650:11 October
612:References
504:Pew Forum
340:Pew Forum
299:Pew Forum
264:Pew Forum
151:advocated
112:Secularism
87:secularism
83:positivism
1033:Venezuela
978:Argentina
743:1 October
718:1 October
147:In 1877,
59:Christian
1023:Suriname
1013:Paraguay
998:Colombia
905:WNRF.org
738:HuffPost
129:dioceses
123:mestizos
49:Catholic
1028:Uruguay
1003:Ecuador
983:Bolivia
835:15 July
463:Census
422:Census
229:Census
194:Survey
175:By year
97:Atheism
79:Uruguay
51:(44.8%)
39:Atheist
31:(30.1%)
1008:Guyana
988:Brazil
826:
582:
571:
560:
541:
530:
519:
500:
489:
478:
459:
448:
437:
418:
407:
396:
377:
366:
355:
336:
325:
314:
290:
279:
255:
244:
220:
209:
191:Others
65:
61:(9.5%)
55:
47:
45:
37:
35:
27:
25:
993:Chile
861:(PDF)
854:(PDF)
803:(PDF)
781:(PDF)
712:(PDF)
705:(PDF)
680:(PDF)
669:(PDF)
564:33.4
553:62.9
523:61.2
512:29.8
441:58.2
430:40.4
400:61.4
359:67.8
348:28.4
269:1950*
234:1910*
213:62.8
202:37.2
29:Deist
1018:Peru
869:2020
837:2012
824:ISBN
745:2012
720:2012
688:2020
652:2022
575:5.0
568:33.4
557:62.9
550:2023
534:9.0
527:61.2
516:29.8
509:2020
468:2014
452:1.3
445:58.2
434:40.4
427:2006
411:3.6
404:61.4
386:1980
370:3.8
363:67.8
352:28.4
345:1970
304:1970
217:62.8
206:37.2
199:1908
182:Year
99:and
1046:and
482:60
471:37
456:1.3
415:3.6
389:35
374:3.8
318:68
307:31
283:63
272:37
248:61
237:39
1085::
921:.
903:.
885:.
822:.
783:.
761:.
736:.
671:.
493:3
486:60
475:37
393:35
329:1
322:68
311:31
294:0
287:63
276:37
259:0
252:61
241:39
224:0
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85:,
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949:t
942:v
925:.
907:.
871:.
839:.
805:.
787:.
765:.
747:.
722:.
690:.
654:.
628:.
579:5
538:9
497:3
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.