Editing Demographics of Mexico (section)

==Religion==
{{Main|Religion in Mexico}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Mexico (by percentage):<ref name="CIATONGA">{{cite web|url= https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mexico/|title= North America :: MEXICO|publisher= CIA The World Factbook|access-date= August 29, 2017|archive-date= January 26, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126164719/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mexico|url-status= live}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Catholic]]  
|value1 = 82.7
|color1 = blue
|label2 = [[Evangelical Churches]]
|value2 = 5
|color2 = red
|label3 = [[Pentecostal]]
|value3 = 1.6
|color3 = salmon
|label4 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
|value4 = 1.4
|color4 = pink
|label5 = other 
|value5 = 1.9
|color5 = Chartreuse
|label6 = none 
|value6 = 4.7
|color6 = Grey
|label7 = unspecified 
|value7 = 2.7
|color7 = Black
}}
The Mexican population is predominantly [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] (78% of the population aged five and older, according to the 2020 census),<ref name="2020-census">{{cite web |url=https://www.inegi.org.mx/temas/religion/#Tabulados |title=Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020 – Cuestionario básico |date=January 2010 |publisher=INEGI |access-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-date=December 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183810/https://www.inegi.org.mx/temas/religion/#Tabulados |url-status=live }}</ref> although the percentage representing those who attend church on a weekly basis is lower (46%).<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/print.php?Releases%2F1997%2FDec97%2Fchr121097a |title=Church attendance in Latin America |access-date=July 26, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060901122224/http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/print.php?Releases%2F1997%2FDec97%2Fchr121097a |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> About 7.6% of the population was classified as [[Protestant]] or Evangelical, 2.5% were classified as "Non-Evangelical Biblical" (a classification that groups [[Adventism|Adventist]]s, [[Mormons]] and [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]), 0.05% as practicing Jews, and 4.6% without a religion.<ref name="religion">[http://www.inegi.gob.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2000/definitivos/Nal/tabulados/00re01.pdf Población de 5 años y más por entidad federativa, sexo y religión y su distribución según grupos quinquenales de edad] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070925184950/http://www.inegi.gob.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2000/definitivos/Nal/tabulados/00re01.pdf |date=September 25, 2007 }}.</ref> The largest group of Protestants are [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] and [[Charismatic Movement|Charismatics]] (classified as Neo-Pentecostals).

[[File:Comala.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Church of [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]] — from the town of [[Comala]], in the state of [[Colima]].]]
The states with the highest percentage of professing Catholics are central states, namely [[Guanajuato]] (96.4%), [[Aguascalientes]] (95.6%) and [[Jalisco]] (95.4%), whereas southeastern states have the lowest percentage of Catholics, namely [[Chiapas]] (63.8%), [[Tabasco]] (70.4%) and [[Campeche]] (71.3%).<ref name="religion"/> The percentage of professing Catholics has been on the decrease over the last four decades, from over 98% in 1950 to 78% in 2020.<ref name="2020-census"/> 

The average annual growth of Catholic believers from 1990 to 2000 was 1.7% whereas that of non-Catholics was 3.7%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mrel02&c=2583|title=Tasa de crecimiento media anual de la población según credo religioso para cada período decenal, 1950 a 2000|website=Inegi.org.mx|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=August 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827044031/http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mrel02&c=2583|url-status=live}}</ref> Given that the average annual population increase over the same time period was 1.8%,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mpob08&c=3185|title=Tasa de crecimiento media anual de la población, 1950 a 2005|website=Inegi.org.mx|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=August 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827044033/http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mpob08&c=3185|url-status=live}}</ref> the percentage of Catholics in relation to the total population continues to be in overall decline.

Since 1857 with the [[La Reforma|La Reforma laws]], the Mexican Constitution drastically separates Church and State, unlike some other countries in Latin America or [[Ibero-America]]. The State does not support or provide any economic resource to the Church (as is the case in Spain and Argentina),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Argentina/argen94.html#primerapartecap1|title=Argentina: Constitución de 1994|website=pdba.georgetown.edu|access-date=July 13, 2007|archive-date=July 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701230309/https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Argentina/argen94.html#primerapartecap1|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Church cannot participate in public education (no public school can be operated by a Catholic order, although they can participate in private education). Moreover, the government nationalized all the Church's properties (some of which were given back in the 1990s), and priests lost the right to vote or to be voted for (although in the 1990s they regained the right to vote).