More Leave Catholicism Than Join, Study Finds

The Catholic Church has been losing followers for years, with significantly more people leaving than joining, according to research by the Pew Research Center. The trend is visible across almost all surveyed countries, particularly in Western Europe and Latin America.

In Spain, for example, 34% of adults have left Catholicism, compared with 26% in France and Chile, and 25% in Brazil. By contrast, conversions to Catholicism in those countries tend to range between 1% and 2%.

The main exception is Hungary, where more people convert to Catholicism than leave it.

The analysis also notes that many people who formally identify as Catholic do not actively practice the faith. Some who leave convert to Protestant churches, while others abandon religion altogether.

(mja)