Page:Mexico and its reconstruction.djvu/40

22 churches, or the gradual infiltration of foreign influences have had much effect in this land, which, like others under Spanish dominion, was once Catholic exclusively and perforce. Of the 15,160,369 Mexicans listed in the census of 1910, 15,011,176 were Catholics; 68,839 were Protestants; 6,237, Buddhists; 602, Mohammedans; 630, Greek Orthodox; 254, Israelites; and 5,605 of other faiths.

Even the latest statistics of the Mexican population give no adequate basis on which a statement can be made concerning the general education of the people. The school system is not well developed. Illiteracy is still very high. With the figures available it is impossible to make more than general statements concerning either the total population unable to read and write or the relative illiteracy in different parts of the country. The census of 1910 reports that among the 15,160,369 persons enumerated, 7,065,464 are persons 12 years of age or over who do not know how to read or write. Comparisons of census figures in other countries indicate that the portion of the population less than 12 years of age is roughly one-sixth. This would indicate that the illiterate population 12 years of age or over constituted about 52 per cent of the total. As a basis of comparison may be taken the statement that of the population of the United States over 10 years of age in 1910, 7.7 per cent were reported illiterate. The figures make a