Government Restrictions on Religion Stayed at Peak Levels Globally in 2022
Long-term analysis of 198 countries and territories shows government restrictions on religion and social hostilities toward religious groups go hand in hand.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Dataset: Global Restrictions on Religion 2007-2022
This Pew Research Center study is a collection of data on government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion in 198 countries and territories from 2007 to 2022, collected by human coding of more than a dozen publicly available, widely cited sources of information, including the U.S. Department of State’s annual reports on international religious freedom.
RECOMMENDED CITATION:
Pew Research Center. 2025. “Dataset: Global Restrictions on Religion 2007-2022.” doi: 10.58094/tecg-6392.
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Religious Restrictions Around the World
How do governments and social actors limit religion? Our interactive has tracked restrictions on religion in 198 countries and territories since 2007.
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Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down
In 2021, government restrictions on religion – laws, policies and actions by state officials that limit religious beliefs and practices – reached a new peak globally. Harassment of religious groups and interference in worship were two of the most common forms of government restrictions worldwide that year.
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How COVID-19 Restrictions Affected Religious Groups Around the World in 2020
Nearly a quarter of countries used force to prevent religious gatherings during the pandemic; other government restrictions and social hostilities related to religion remained fairly stable.
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Globally, Social Hostilities Related to Religion Decline in 2019, While Government Restrictions Remain at Highest Levels
Social hostilities involving religion, including violence and harassment against religious groups by private individuals and groups, declined in 2019, according to Pew Research Center’s 12th annual study of global restrictions on religion, which examines 198 countries and territories.
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