The state of Querétaro has 501 priests distributed in the 18 municipalities, according to data considered until the third quarter of 2024 by the Government of Mexico, which represents a deficit of 34.2 percent, since it previously had a record of 761.
This is despite the fact that, according to the 2020 census, of the 2 million 368 thousand 467 Querétaro residents, 78.59 percent declared themselves to profess the Catholic religion; that is, one million 861 thousand 516 people. Of that population, 896 thousand 374 are men and 965 thousand 142 are women.
Of the 78.59 percent of Catholics in the state, the largest number is in the range of 25 to 29 years old, being 176,586. The smallest is between 85 years old and older, which is 14,793 people.
There is no specific data on the salary of each of the priests, pastors and other theologians in this federal entity, but the average salary at the national level is 7,400 pesos per month with an average age of 51.7 years in those who exercise that activity.
The diocesan drawing in Amealco determined the order of the deaneries in the female column, with Santa Rosa de Lima at the head. On February 23, the drawing for male pilgrims will be held during the Guadalupe Congress.
Data from the federal government’s Data Mexico platform indicate that the states with the highest number of active priests, pastors, and other theologians, during the third quarter of 2024, were the State of Mexico, with 4,840; Mexico City, with 3,580; and Guanajuato with 2,610.
On the subject of salaries, statistics indicate that the states with the best average salaries for priests, pastors, and other theologians, during the third quarter of 2024 were Baja California, with 15,700 pesos; San Luis Potosí, with 15,100 pesos per month; and Chihuahua with 13,100 pesos.
Data Mexico said that the salary data has a low precision, but it revealed that, during the third quarter of 2024, both the employed population of men and women priests, pastors and other theologians was concentrated in the educational sector with 16 to 18 years of schooling. Of these, 13,500 are men and 642 are women. The highest average salary was 9,260 pesos, which is received by men with an education between 16 and 18 years completed.
The publication “Panorama of Religions in Mexico 2020” that commemorates the 40 years of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), states that there are 668,487 inhabited homes. It establishes that in 85.2 percent of the census households all members declared the same religion.
In 3.0 percent of these homes, two or more religions were declared. In 5.8 percent of households, all members declared themselves to be of no religion. Of the married or cohabiting population, 53.3 percent declared a religious marriage.
Another fact added by the INEGI study is that in households where the person responsible for support is Catholic, in 95.2 percent of household members share that religious belief.
Source: oem
