Restrictions on religion in the world’s 25 most populous countries
Among the world’s 25 most populous countries, India, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia had the highest levels of overall restrictions on religion (when considering both government restrictions and social hostilities). South Africa, the United States, Japan, the Philippines and the United Kingdom had the lowest levels. Scores on each 10-point index are for the calendar year 2023.
Note: Countries in the upper right have the most restrictions and hostilities; those in the lower left have the least restrictions and hostilities.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. Refer to the Methodology for details. Population figures are UN Population Division estimates for 2020.
“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
Restrictions on religion in the world’s 25 most populous countries
Among the world’s 25 most populous countries, India, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia had the highest levels of overall restrictions on religion (when considering both government restrictions and social hostilities). South Africa, the United States, Japan, the Philippines and the United Kingdom had the lowest levels. Scores on each 10-point index are for the calendar year 2023.
| Country | Year | Government Restrictions Index (GRI) | Social Hostilities Index (SHI) | 2020 UN population estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2023 | 9.1 | 0.1 | 1,426,106,093 |
| India | 2023 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 1,402,617,695 |
| United States | 2023 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 339,436,159 |
| Indonesia | 2023 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 274,814,866 |
| Pakistan | 2023 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 235,001,746 |
| Nigeria | 2023 | 4.6 | 9.0 | 213,996,181 |
| Brazil | 2023 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 208,660,842 |
| Bangladesh | 2023 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 166,298,024 |
| Russia | 2023 | 7.7 | 3.8 | 146,371,299 |
| Mexico | 2023 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 126,799,054 |
| Japan | 2023 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 126,304,543 |
| Ethiopia | 2023 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 118,917,671 |
| Philippines | 2023 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 112,081,264 |
| Egypt | 2023 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 109,315,124 |
| Vietnam | 2023 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 98,079,191 |
| Dem. Rep. Congo | 2023 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 95,989,998 |
| Iran | 2023 | 8.7 | 5.8 | 87,723,443 |
| Turkey | 2023 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 86,091,692 |
| Germany | 2023 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 83,628,708 |
| Thailand | 2023 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 71,641,484 |
| United Kingdom | 2023 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 67,351,861 |
| France | 2023 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 65,905,277 |
| Tanzania | 2023 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 60,972,798 |
| South Africa | 2023 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 60,562,381 |
| Italy | 2023 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 59,912,769 |
Note: Countries in the upper right have the most restrictions and hostilities; those in the lower left have the least restrictions and hostilities.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. Refer to the Methodology for details. Population figures are UN Population Division estimates for 2020.
“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
