Christianity is the predominantreligion in El Salvador,[2] withCatholicism andProtestantism being its main denominations. TheCatholic share of the population is on decline whileProtestants are experiencing rapid growth in recent decades.[3]
In 1528 Spanish, after the foundation of San Salvador village by theConquistador Diego de Alvarado, part of the territory of modern dayEl Salvador was named afterJesus Christ - San Salvador (lit. "Holy Savior"), that from 1579 also including the province ofSan Miguel; and the other part, from 1556, was named Holy Trinity ofSonsonate; both jurisdictions joined in 1824 in El Salvador, or Salvador, during the post-Federal Republic period and subsequently settled on asEl Salvador.[4]
El Salvador is asecular country and thefreedom of religion is enshrined in the nation'sconstitution. However, the constitution grants automatic official recognition to theCatholic Church and requires other religious groups to apply for official recognition through registration.[5]
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 theUniversity of Central America in May 2017 found 47.5% of the population asCatholics, and 35.1% asProtestant, 14.5% as not having a religion and the remainder (about 3%) beingJehovah's Witnesses,ISKON,Muslims,Jews,Baháʼís,Buddhists,Latter-day Saints, and members of indigenous religions.[7] However,Latinobarómetro in 2017 found 39% were Catholic, 28% Protestant, 30% atheist/agnostic/not religious, 2% other religions, and 1% did not answer.[8] It also found in 1996 that 67% of the population considered themselves Catholic and 15% Protestant.[8] A 2023 survey by M&R Consultores found that 43.5% of the population was affiliated with Protestantism, 36.2% with Catholicism and 19.3% with no religion.[9][10]
Mision Cristiana Elim Internacional is a largepentecostal denomination started in El Salvador. It claims that its main church in San Salvador has 120,000 attending.[11] TheAssemblies of God claim 285,226 members (2007).[12]
The Anglican Church in El Salvador (a diocese of the province of theAnglican 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]
Theconstitution 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]
Media related toReligion in El Salvador at Wikimedia Commons