Countries in Cluster 4

Opportunities for Bible engagement

Over nine out of ten people say they believe in God, religion is important to people, and they are warm towards the Bible.

Most identify with a Christian tradition (85%), including 64% who identify as Catholic. There is high interest in the Bible, with almost three in four interested in learning more about it.

77% say religion is an important part of their daily life

74% are interested in learning more about the Bible

93% believe it is good for children to know some stories from the Bible

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Top three words

Icon Joy
wisdom
Icon Lightbulb
truth
Icon Literacy
a historical artefact

Challenges for Bible engagement

Growing levels of secularism, particularly amongst young people, alongside high economic inequality appear to be two of the biggest challenges for Bible engagement.

15% of 18–24-year-olds identify as nonreligious, compared to 10% for the whole cluster

37% of people say they use the Bible at least once a week. This drops to 30% for those aged 18–24, the lowest of any age group

The richest 20% own half of the wealth (50%)

A line with 3 icons coming off it. At the bottom, a chequebook and the words 'richest 20% 50% of the wealth'. In the middle, a down arrow and the words '37% 30% aged 18-24'. At the top, a circle with a diagonal line through it - 15%.

How will this affect Bible engagement in Latin America?

The Patmos data reveals two key narratives. The first is a good news story: people are warm towards the Bible, seeing it as a source of wisdom and truth. Many engage with it regularly, find it personally relevant, and let it guide their daily lives.

However, the second narrative offers a cautionary note. Despite this warmth, social inequality remains high, and secularism is growing, especially among the young, urban, and educated.

A person next to a heart in a circle. Below, an exclamation mark in a triangle.

Key question

How can we ensure the Bible's teachings translate into tangible societal change amidst growing secularism?

Understanding our audience groups

We have identified audience groups within each Patmos Cluster. In Cluster 4, we found seven distinct audience groups. The chart below shows the distribution of these groups across Patmos Cluster 4.

Pie chart showing the percentage of the population in the 7 different audience segments found in cluster 4

Key question

How can the most active Bible users be equipped to apply the Bible in life and society in a way that brings other segments into a deeper encounter with the Bible?

Learn more

Read about each audience group by downloading The Patmos World Bible Attitudes Report.