Religion in El Salvador
The Spanish
El Salvador is a
Religious affiliation
According to the World Religion Database 2020, 96.68% of the population has a Christian background and 2.57% is non-religious (atheist or agnostic); 0.57% follow ethnic religions.[6]
There is some debate about percentages. The Institute of Public Opinion of the
Protestant and other Christian denominations
The Anglican Church in El Salvador (a diocese of the province of the Anglican Church in Central America) claims 6,000 members in 18 congregations.[13] The Baptist Association of El Salvador claims 4,427 members[14] and the Salvadorean Lutheran Synod about 15,000 in 68 congregations.[15]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Restorationist Christian denomination, claims 130,000 people in 164 congregations as of 2023),[16] or about 2% of the population, and has 1 temple in San Salvador. Latter-Day Saints began evangelizing in El Salvador in 1951.[16]
Religious freedom
The constitution of El Salvador provides for the freedom of religion and prohibits religious discrimination. Publicly offending others' religious beliefs or damaging religious objects is punishable by imprisonment. Members of the clergy may not hold senior government positions, and are forbidden from joining political parties.[17]
Religious groups may register with the government for the purposes of tax-exemption and acquiring building permits. Special visas are required for individuals who wish to travel to El Salvador to engage in proselytizing.[18]
Public school education is secular. Private schools may include religious content in their curricula, but do not receive government support.[19] Since 2016, clergy have limited access to prisons, due to concerns that some members of the clergy were using prison visits to smuggle items into prisons.[19]
In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom by Freedom House, a US government funded think tank.[20]
See also
- Demographics of El Salvador
- Catholic Church in El Salvador
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in El Salvador
- Islam in El Salvador
- Judaism in El Salvador
References
- José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA El-Salvador), 2022 report
- ^ "El Salvador 2022 report, US State Dept".
- ^ Stephen Offutt, New Centers of Global Evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2015) focuses on El Salvador the north central south America and South Africa.
- ISBN 978-99923-0-274-3. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "El Salvador 2022 report, US State Dept".
- ^ World Religion Database, retrieved 2023-08-03
- ^ "International Religious Freedom Report for 2017: El Salvador". www.state.gov. Retrieved 31 December 2018. For percentages it cites the Institute of Public Opinion of the University of Central America May 2017 survey.
- ^ a b "Latinobarómetro 1995 - 2017: El Papa Francisco y la Religión en Chile y América Latina" (PDF) (in Spanish). January 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ https://www.el19digital.com/app/webroot/tinymce/source/2023/AGOSTO/16Ago/ENCUESTA/encuesta.pdf
- ^ https://jpmas.com.ni/catholic-believers-decline-in-central-america/
- ^ "Células". Elim Mision Cristiana. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ Triplett, Don. "King's Castle 24/7 Prayer Fortress". Assemblies of God World Mission. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ "Iglesia Anglicana de El Salvador". Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ "Baptist Association of El Salvador". World Council of Churches. January 1991. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ "Salvadorean Lutheran Synod". World Council of Churches. January 1991. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ a b "El Salvador". Newsroom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "El Salvador 2022 report, US State Dept".
- ^ "El Salvador 2022 report, US State Dept".
- ^ a b International Religious Freedom Report 2017 El Salvador, US State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
- ^ Freedom House, retrieved 2023-08-03
Further reading
- Stephen Offutt, New Centers of Global Evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2015) focuses on El Salvador and South Africa. online review
External links
- Media related to Religion in El Salvador at Wikimedia Commons