Religion in Bolivia

By Christopher Minster

Bolivia, like the rest of South America, is predominantly Roman Catholic. 95% of the population lists their religion as Roman Catholic, although not everyone attends services regularly.

During the colonial era, church and state were very closely linked under the Spanish colonial system. Since independence, Bolivians have taken many steps to put some distance between church and state. In 1906, the government of Bolivia officially allowed other religions into the nation, although the official religion remained Catholicism (it still is).

The remaining 5% of the Bolivian population is affiliated with a variety of religions, most of which have sent missionaries to Bolivia in the last few decades, such as Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses, although there are also small communities of Jews and Mennonites that have been around for a long time.