The amount of Latinos in the United States that affiliate with the Catholic Church has dropped 12 percent in the last four years, according to United Press International.
A study conducted by the Pew Research Center shows most American Hispanics leave Catholicism to become evangelical Protestants or no longer affiliate with a specific religion.
Of the survey's participants, 22 percent described themselves as Protestant, 16 percent said they were evangelical, 18 percent claimed no affiliation, and 5 percent said they were simply Christian.
In 2010, 67 percent of respondents said they were Catholic -- compared to 62 percent in 2011 and 58 percent in 2012, UPI said.
Nearly one in four participants identified as former Catholics, reflecting a trend found not only in the United States but also in Latin American countries where many members of the Church change to evangelical sects.
The amount of Hispanics that have left Catholicism tend to be young, under 50 years of age.
Additionally, those who associate with evangelicals tend to be more socially and politically conservative while unaffiliated Latinos associated with liberal or moderate Catholics. Still, only 30 percent of Hispanic evangelicals described themselves as Republican.
The survey was taken between May 24, 2013 and July 28, 2013 and included 5,013 Hispanic adults in the United States.
