Government restrictions on religion around the world in 2023
Levels of government restrictions on religion in each country and territory studied, as of 2023
Note: Based on the Government Restrictions Index’s 10-point scale; scores of 0.0 to 2.3 are considered “low,” 2.4 to 4.4 are considered “moderate,” 4.5 to 6.5 are considered “high,” and 6.6 to 10.0 are considered “very high.” For details on how disputed territories are coded, read the Methodology.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. Refer to the Methodology for details.
“More Countries Had Elevated Levels of Social Hostilities Involving Religion in 2023”
“More Countries Had Elevated Levels of Social Hostilities Involving Religion in 2023”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Government restrictions on religion around the world in 2023
Levels of government restrictions on religion in each country and territory studied, as of 2023
| Region | Country | GRI Category | 2023 GRI Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americas | Antigua and Barbuda | Low | 0.5 |
| Americas | Argentina | Moderate | 2.8 |
| Americas | Bahamas | Moderate | 2.9 |
| Americas | Barbados | Low | 1.7 |
| Americas | Belize | Low | 1.4 |
| Americas | Bolivia | Low | 0.8 |
| Americas | Brazil | Low | 2.3 |
| Americas | Canada | Low | 2.1 |
| Americas | Chile | Low | 1.6 |
| Americas | Colombia | Low | 1.4 |
| Americas | Costa Rica | Moderate | 2.6 |
| Americas | Cuba | High | 4.5 |
| Americas | Dominica | Low | 1.3 |
| Americas | Dominican Republic | Low | 1.5 |
| Americas | Ecuador | Low | 1.8 |
| Americas | El Salvador | Low | 1.8 |
| Americas | Grenada | Low | 1.8 |
| Americas | Guatemala | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Americas | Guyana | Low | 1.9 |
| Americas | Haiti | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Americas | Honduras | Low | 1.2 |
| Americas | Jamaica | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Americas | Mexico | Moderate | 4.4 |
| Americas | Nicaragua | Moderate | 4.2 |
| Americas | Panama | Low | 1.6 |
| Americas | Paraguay | Low | 1.9 |
| Americas | Peru | Low | 1.9 |
| Americas | St. Kitts and Nevis | Low | 1.1 |
| Americas | St. Lucia | Low | 1.7 |
| Americas | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Low | 1.2 |
| Americas | Suriname | Low | 1.3 |
| Americas | Trinidad and Tobago | Low | 1.6 |
| Americas | United States | Low | 2.1 |
| Americas | Uruguay | Low | 1.6 |
| Americas | Venezuela | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Afghanistan | Very high | 8.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Armenia | High | 4.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Australia | Low | 2.3 |
| Asia-Pacific | Azerbaijan | Very high | 7.3 |
| Asia-Pacific | Bangladesh | High | 5.5 |
| Asia-Pacific | Bhutan | High | 4.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Brunei | Very high | 6.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Cambodia | High | 5 |
| Asia-Pacific | China | Very high | 9.1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Cyprus | Moderate | 2.8 |
| Asia-Pacific | East Timor | Low | 1.1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Fiji | Moderate | 2.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Hong Kong | Moderate | 3.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | India | High | 6.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Indonesia | Very high | 7.9 |
| Asia-Pacific | Iran | Very high | 8.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Japan | Low | 1.3 |
| Asia-Pacific | Kazakhstan | High | 6.5 |
| Asia-Pacific | Kiribati | Low | 1.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Kyrgyzstan | High | 5.9 |
| Asia-Pacific | Laos | Very high | 6.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Macao | Low | 1.2 |
| Asia-Pacific | Malaysia | Very high | 7.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Maldives | Very high | 7.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Marshall Islands | Low | 0.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Micronesia, Federated States | Low | 0.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Mongolia | Moderate | 3.1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Myanmar | Very high | 7.3 |
| Asia-Pacific | Nauru | Low | 1.8 |
| Asia-Pacific | Nepal | High | 5.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | New Zealand | Low | 0.9 |
| Asia-Pacific | Pakistan | Very high | 7.1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Palau | Low | 0.5 |
| Asia-Pacific | Papua New Guinea | Low | 1.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Philippines | Low | 2 |
| Asia-Pacific | Samoa | Low | 1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Singapore | Very high | 6.7 |
| Asia-Pacific | Solomon Islands | Low | 0.9 |
| Asia-Pacific | South Korea | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Asia-Pacific | Sri Lanka | High | 5.9 |
| Asia-Pacific | Taiwan | Low | 1 |
| Asia-Pacific | Tajikistan | High | 6.4 |
| Asia-Pacific | Thailand | High | 4.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Tonga | Low | 1.8 |
| Asia-Pacific | Turkey | High | 6.3 |
| Asia-Pacific | Turkmenistan | High | 6.5 |
| Asia-Pacific | Tuvalu | Moderate | 2.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Uzbekistan | Very high | 7.8 |
| Asia-Pacific | Vanuatu | Low | 1.6 |
| Asia-Pacific | Vietnam | Very high | 7.3 |
| Europe | Albania | Low | 1.8 |
| Europe | Andorra | Moderate | 2.6 |
| Europe | Austria | Moderate | 3.8 |
| Europe | Belarus | Very high | 6.6 |
| Europe | Belgium | Moderate | 2.8 |
| Europe | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Moderate | 3.3 |
| Europe | Bulgaria | High | 5.5 |
| Europe | Croatia | Low | 2 |
| Europe | Czech Republic | Low | 2.2 |
| Europe | Denmark | Moderate | 4.2 |
| Europe | Estonia | Low | 1 |
| Europe | Finland | Moderate | 3.5 |
| Europe | France | High | 5.5 |
| Europe | Georgia | Moderate | 4.1 |
| Europe | Germany | Moderate | 4 |
| Europe | Greece | High | 4.7 |
| Europe | Hungary | Low | 2.2 |
| Europe | Iceland | Moderate | 3.6 |
| Europe | Ireland | Low | 1.1 |
| Europe | Italy | Moderate | 2.9 |
| Europe | Kosovo | Moderate | 3.4 |
| Europe | Latvia | Moderate | 2.9 |
| Europe | Liechtenstein | Low | 2 |
| Europe | Lithuania | Moderate | 3 |
| Europe | Luxembourg | Moderate | 2.4 |
| Europe | Malta | Low | 1.9 |
| Europe | Moldova | High | 5.4 |
| Europe | Monaco | Low | 1.4 |
| Europe | Montenegro | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Europe | Netherlands | Moderate | 3 |
| Europe | North Macedonia | Moderate | 3.5 |
| Europe | Norway | Moderate | 3.7 |
| Europe | Poland | Moderate | 3.2 |
| Europe | Portugal | Low | 0.6 |
| Europe | Romania | High | 4.8 |
| Europe | Russia | Very high | 7.7 |
| Europe | San Marino | Low | 0.6 |
| Europe | Serbia | Moderate | 3 |
| Europe | Slovakia | Moderate | 3.8 |
| Europe | Slovenia | Low | 2.3 |
| Europe | Spain | Low | 2 |
| Europe | Sweden | Moderate | 3.6 |
| Europe | Switzerland | Moderate | 4.1 |
| Europe | Ukraine | High | 6.1 |
| Europe | United Kingdom | Moderate | 3.2 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Algeria | Very high | 7 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Bahrain | High | 5.9 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Egypt | Very high | 7.7 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Iraq | Very high | 6.6 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Israel | Very high | 7.5 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Jordan | High | 6.4 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Kuwait | High | 6.2 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Lebanon | Moderate | 4.1 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Libya | High | 6.1 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Morocco | Very high | 7 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Oman | High | 5.1 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Palestinian territories | Moderate | 3.9 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Qatar | Very high | 6.6 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Saudi Arabia | Very high | 7.4 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Sudan | Moderate | 3.9 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Syria | Very high | 7.8 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Tunisia | High | 5.8 |
| Middle East-North Africa | United Arab Emirates | High | 6.3 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Western Sahara | High | 6.1 |
| Middle East-North Africa | Yemen | High | 6.2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Angola | Moderate | 4.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Benin | Low | 1.8 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Botswana | Low | 1.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Burkina Faso | Moderate | 3.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Burundi | Moderate | 3.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Cameroon | Moderate | 3.9 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Cape Verde | Low | 1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Central African Republic | Moderate | 4.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Chad | Moderate | 3.8 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Comoros | High | 4.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Congo, Dem. Rep. | Moderate | 3.2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Congo, Rep. | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Djibouti | Moderate | 3.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Equatorial Guinea | Moderate | 4.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Eritrea | High | 5.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Eswatini | Moderate | 3.8 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Ethiopia | Moderate | 4.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Gabon | Low | 1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Gambia | Low | 1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Ghana | Low | 1.4 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Guinea | Moderate | 3.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Guinea-Bissau | Low | 1.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Ivory Coast | Low | 1.4 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Kenya | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Lesotho | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Liberia | Low | 2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Madagascar | Moderate | 3.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Malawi | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Mali | Moderate | 3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Mauritania | Very high | 6.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Mauritius | Low | 2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Mozambique | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Namibia | Low | 1.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Niger | Moderate | 3.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Nigeria | High | 4.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Rwanda | Moderate | 4.2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Sao Tome and Principe | Low | 1.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Senegal | Low | 1.3 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Seychelles | Moderate | 2.7 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Sierra Leone | Low | 2.2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Somalia | High | 5.4 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | South Africa | Low | 1.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | South Sudan | Moderate | 2.5 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Tanzania | Moderate | 4.2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Togo | Moderate | 2.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Uganda | Moderate | 3.6 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Zambia | Low | 2 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Zimbabwe | Moderate | 2.7 |
Note: Based on the Government Restrictions Index’s 10-point scale; scores of 0.0 to 2.3 are considered “low,” 2.4 to 4.4 are considered “moderate,” 4.5 to 6.5 are considered “high,” and 6.6 to 10.0 are considered “very high.” For details on how disputed territories are coded, read the Methodology.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. Refer to the Methodology for details.
“More Countries Had Elevated Levels of Social Hostilities Involving Religion in 2023”
“More Countries Had Elevated Levels of Social Hostilities Involving Religion in 2023”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
