Pray for Uruguay
Montevideo, the capital
Photo: Eduardo Ruggieri, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Uruguay
The capital is Montevideo. People speak Spanish. Christianity is the largest faith, and many people have no religion.
Source: Wikipedia, with the cited sources it lists.
Prayer briefing for Uruguay
Last updated October 2026. Facts come from the sources listed below.
Current events
Uruguay is facing a slower economy. In May the families of people who disappeared under the dictatorship added eight names to their list and met President Orsi to ask for a faster search. Many families still wait for answers.
We pray for: Immediate relief, safety and urgent help.
Leadership and politics
Uruguay is a presidential republic. The President is Yamandu Orsi of the Frente Amplio, who took office in March 2025. The five year budget passed with opposition support, and debates continue over taxes and the slower economy.
We pray for: Wisdom, integrity and justice for those in authority.
Economic health
Uruguay has the highest income per person in the region, but growth slowed to about 2% in 2025 and is expected to be a little lower in 2026. A weak harvest after dry weather, a strong peso and high costs have hurt exports, and several well known businesses have closed. The fiscal deficit is widening.
We pray for: Provision for families and honest stewardship.
Social and cultural issues
Crime is the top concern of Uruguayans. Robberies and fraud fell in 2025, but the homicide rate, about 10 per 100,000 people, is well above that of its neighbours. Uruguay received a record number of Cuban migrants in 2025. Uruguay also became the first country in the region to pass a law allowing euthanasia.
We pray for: Reconciliation, peace and protection of the vulnerable.
Spiritual landscape
Uruguay has a strong secular tradition. A 2018 government survey found about 45% Catholic, about 10% other Christian and about 45% with no religion. Many Catholics are not active, while Protestant and evangelical churches are more active, and Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mennonites are also present.
We pray for: Spiritual awakening, hope and the spread of truth.
Religious freedom
Church and state were separated by the constitution of 1918, and Uruguay has no official religion. Christian holidays remain public holidays with secular names: Christmas is called Family Day and Holy Week is called Tourism Week.
We pray for: Protection for believers and freedom to worship safely.
Historical wounds
Uruguay lived under a civic and military dictatorship from 1973 to 1985. Families now list 205 people who disappeared, many of them detained in Argentina, and only some have been found. Each 20 May, tens of thousands walk in silence in Montevideo to remember them and ask for answers.
We pray for: National healing, breaking old cycles and deep forgiveness.
Let us pray together
Our Father, we come to You together for Uruguay. Comfort the families who still wait to know what happened to their loved ones. Give wisdom, integrity and justice to President Orsi and to all who lead. Provide work and fair income for families, and honest stewardship of the nation. Protect people from crime and violence, welcome migrants with kindness, and guard the sick, the elderly and the vulnerable. Awaken a hunger for You across the nation, and let the hope of Jesus be known. Keep every believer free to worship. Heal the wounds of the dictatorship and lead Uruguay in truth, forgiveness and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sources
More ways to pray
PrayerCast shares short prayer videos for the nations. Watch its video for Uruguay and pray along.
Watch the PrayerCast video for Uruguay
It opens on prayercast.com in a new tab. If it does not open the page for Uruguay, search for the nation on PrayerCast.
Is something on this page not right? Tell us
Share a prayer request for Uruguay
Is there something you would like us to pray for in Uruguay? Tell us, and we will pray with you. You choose whether we may publish it or keep it private.