ISER's research paints a new picture of religion and its relationship with public life in Brazil.
The Institute for Religious Studies (ISER) will launch, in September 2026, the research project "Religion and Public Life in Brazil," the most comprehensive study ever conducted on this topic. The data will help to understand not only the transformations in the Brazilian religious field, but also how these transformations relate to other aspects of social life. The initial data and analyses are available on this page; the complete data will be available on this platform in March 2027.
The most important aspect of this research is that, in addition to presenting numbers and describing who Brazil is from the perspective of the religions that coexist within it, it investigates how faith organizes values, guides worldviews, and articulates with political choices, daily practices, and community affiliations. The questionnaire also addresses digital media consumption, political behavior, and offers detailed sociodemographic information.
Religious profile
Brazil remains predominantly Catholic, but the fragmentation is changing how these blocs are interpreted.
Catholics are divided between practicing (31%) and non-practicing (19%). In the evangelical field, Pentecostals make up 21% of the population, Protestants 5%, and evangelicals without a church 3%. Afro-Brazilian religions comprise 3% and Spiritists 2%.
Regarding age profile, six out of ten Brazilians under 35 are not Catholic. Afro-Brazilian religions also have a proportionally more declared affiliation among young people. Catholicism accounts for 651% of Brazilians aged 60 or older, but only 391% of those aged 16 to 34. In the same younger age group, Evangelicals represent 331% of the population.
60 years of age or older
16 and 34 years old
The generational shift is occurring in a country where moving between religions is already part of the life trajectory for a segment of the population. The path from Catholicism to evangelical churches remains, but it is no longer the only relevant direction.
Religious practices
How often do Brazilians participate in religious services and other religious activities at least once a week? Weekly or higher attendance reaches 40% among Catholics and 39% among followers of Afro-Brazilian religions.
However, religion extends beyond places of worship. For 731% of Brazilians, the Bible or its verses are a source of teachings for life, a practice that even reaches people outside of Christian traditions.
In the cultural field, gospel music is consumed by 671% of the population and reaches 551% of people without religion. Religious films and series are consumed by 591% of Brazilians; Christian radio and religious books, by 551%; and biblical soap operas, by 451% of Brazilians.
Society and politics
Fifty-four percent of respondents define themselves as conservative, while 241% consider themselves progressive. At the same time, there is support from 78% for the protection of indigenous peoples, from 75% for the Bolsa Família program, and from 66% for taxing the wealthiest. Regarding abortion, 45% of respondents are against punishing and imprisoning women who have abortions.
Although 251% of respondents view Brazilian religious diversity positively and 49% are indifferent, there is a segment of the population that defines Afro-Brazilian religions as "evil" or "demonic": 36% of evangelicals, 17% of Catholics, 14% of people with no religion, and 9% of spiritists.
Religion and Public Life in Brazil was conceived and coordinated by ISER, with fieldwork conducted by Quaest. The survey interviewed 15,000 people aged 16 or older in person, in 412 municipalities across all regions of the country, including the 27 state capitals and the Federal District. Fieldwork took place over 28 days, between January 14th and February 10th. With 184 questions, entirely the responsibility of ISER, the margin of error is 0.8 percentage points, with a confidence level of 95%.
The specific question about the respondents' religion follows the same methodology as the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics): the interviewer does not offer alternatives, and the person answers the open-ended question "What is your religion or faith?" in their own words, and is then asked about the church they attend.
Producing original data that allows for a deeper exploration of these points raised is a fundamental contribution of this research.