Where the church stands in Mexico
Mexico is home to the second-largest Catholic population in the world, and its 2020 census recorded roughly one in nine people as Protestant or evangelical — a share that has climbed with every census. Growth is strongest in the south, in states like Chiapas and Tabasco, often among indigenous communities.
It is also costly. In some indigenous villages governed by customary law, families who leave the traditional religion have had water and electricity cut off or been expelled from their land. Elsewhere, cartel violence makes pastors targets when they refuse to pay extortion or pull young people out of gangs.
Signs of hope
Sustained evangelical growth, a vibrant sending movement, and churches at the forefront of caring for migrants moving north.
The honest difficulty
Persecution of indigenous converts under local customary law, cartel violence against pastors, and faith that is often cultural rather than personal.
What "Reached" means
There is an established church large enough to reach the rest of the nation without outside help. That does not mean the work is finished — it means the work now belongs mainly to believers who live there.
In Mexico the majority religious context is Christianity (~89%; ~78% Catholic), unaffiliated (~8%). The largest population still considered without meaningful Gospel access is the Some small indigenous language communities and migrant groups from Asia and the Middle East.
How to pray for Mexico
Prayer is not a substitute for going; it is how going begins. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Thank God for the growth of the church in southern Mexico.
- Pray for indigenous believers expelled from their villages for following Jesus.
- Ask God to protect pastors who stand against cartel violence and extortion.
- Pray for churches serving migrants passing through on their way north.
Questions people ask about Mexico
Is Mexico an unreached nation?
Mexico is classified as reached. There is an established church large enough to reach the rest of the nation without outside help. That does not mean the work is finished — it means the work now belongs mainly to believers who live there. Roughly 89% of the population identifies as Christian and about 9% as evangelical, with an estimated 20 of its 300 people groups still considered unreached. Figures are rounded estimates and vary by source and year.
How many Christians are there in Mexico?
About 89% of Mexico's roughly 131 million people identify as Christian — approximately 117 million people. Around 9% are evangelical. Identification is high, though active faith is usually lower than the figure suggests.
How can I pray for Mexico?
Thank God for the growth of the church in southern Mexico. Pray for indigenous believers expelled from their villages for following Jesus. Pick one of these, pray it for two minutes a day for a week, and ask one other person to pray it with you.