Global religious restrictions intensified in 2023, as median levels of government restrictions and social hostilities rose across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and the Middle East and North Africa, according to a new Pew Research report. Only sub-Saharan Africa saw a decline. The number of countries with high or very high social hostilities involving religion increased for the third straight year, while government interference in worship also grew.
The findings draw on Pew's ongoing tracking of religious restrictions across 198 countries and territories since 2007. Among the 25 most populous nations, India, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia recorded the highest overall levels of both government restrictions and social hostilities. These nations represent some of the world's largest religiously diverse populations, highlighting the breadth of the trend.
Religious groups faced harassment in 192 of the 198 countries and territories studied, matching a previous high set in 2022. The six countries with very high social hostilities involving religion were Nigeria, India, Israel, Syria, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This marked an increase from prior years, though Pew did not provide historical comparison figures for the specific list.
The persistence of elevated restrictions suggests that religious freedom continues to face headwinds globally, even in regions where secular governance is common. Critics may argue that measuring restrictions via median scores can obscure improvements in some countries, but the upward trajectory across multiple regions underscores a broad-based challenge.
Pew's methodology relies on publicly available reports, which may undercount less-documented incidents. The report does not assess the underlying causes of the trends, such as geopolitical tensions or domestic political shifts.