In 2020, properties in 102 countries and territories were targeted in incidents tied to religion
In 2020, properties in 102 of the 198 countries and territories in the study were targeted in incidents tied to religion.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
In 2020, properties in 102 of the 198 countries and territories in the study were targeted in incidents tied to religion.
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.
Social hostilities around the world involving religion declined in 2019 to the lowest level in five years.
Our study analyzes 198 countries and territories and is based on policies and events in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available.
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.
In 2018, the global median level of government restrictions on religion – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that impinge on religious beliefs and practices – continued to climb, reaching an all-time high since Pew Research Center began tracking these trends in 2007.
Government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion increased in 2015 for the first time in three years. Government harassment and use of force surged in Europe, as did social hostilities against Muslims.
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