41 countries ban religion-related groups; Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’is among the most commonly targeted
Around a fifth (21%) of the 198 countries evaluated banned at least one religion-related group in 2019, our analysis found.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Around a fifth (21%) of the 198 countries evaluated banned at least one religion-related group in 2019, our analysis found.
79 countries and territories out of the 198 studied around the world (40%) had laws or policies in 2019 banning blasphemy.
The global Muslim population is more concentrated in Islam’s main population centers than the global Christian population is for Christianity.
With the number of displaced people in the world at more than 60 million in 2015, the plight of refugees has gained new prominence.
Most people in the countries we surveyed – including 11 countries with significant Muslim populations – had negative views of the Islamic State extremist group as of spring.
Public opinion data going back to the 1930s shows that generally speaking, Americans oppose large numbers of refugees entering the country.
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