WASHINGTON -- The Catholic Church is losing its grip on Hispanics in the United States, according to a new study. But rather than choosing another faith, immigrants are following America's secular society and opting for no organized religion, USA Today reports.

The U.S. Hispanic adult population nearly doubled from 1990 to 2000, to 23 million from 14.6 million, according to the American Religious Identification Survey 2001 (ARIS). While the majority still call themselves Catholic, the percentage is dropping -- down from 66 percent in 1990 to 57 percent in 2001.

The study, conducted by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, looked at how religious identification has changed in the Hispanic community from 1990 to 2001.

The percentage who said they had no religion more than doubled during the same period, to 13 percent from 6 percent. Of the 2.9 million who cited no religion, 38 percent were women and 62 percent men.

Fifty-three percent of those who said they have no religion also said they "strongly believe" in God. Only 4 percent professed a strong disbelief in God, according to the study.

"You may call the Hispanic community unchurched, but they're definitely believers," said Ariela Keysar, the study's co-author. "It just confirms in many ways that Hispanics follow the general trends of the American population."

Americans who cite no religion now account for 14 percent of the U.S. population, up from 8 percent in 1990, according to the study.

Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, co-founder and director of the Program for the Analysis of Religion Among Latinos, said Hispanics are looking for churches that can provide community and social services along with religious guidance.

"Our people are very religious," he said. "It's just that the Catholic Church hasn't caught up with the people."