International Religious Freedom & Restrictions

In 2016, seven nations – Turkey, Brunei, Ethiopia, France, Hungary, Niger and Tunisia – directly used emergency laws to restrict religion, according to Pew Research Center’s latest annual religious restrictions study. While a number of different religious groups were targeted, these laws imposed restrictions on Muslims more than any other group.

While the Chinese government asserts that it protects religious freedom, a series of annual Pew Research Center reports on religious restrictions around the globe have detailed government efforts aimed at maintaining strict control over religious beliefs and practices in the country. Two recent events have brought this into focus: China’s agreement with the Vatican on […]

Laws enacted in several European countries that restrict the religious clothing of Muslim women are largely in line with Western European attitudes on the issue.

India is home to 1.4 billion people – almost one-sixth of the world’s population – who belong to a variety of ethnicities and religions. While 94% of the world’s Hindus live in India, there also are substantial populations of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of folk religions. Here are five facts about religion in India.

Restrictions on religion continued to climb in 2016 around the world, the second year in a row of increases.

Restrictions on religion increased in 2016 for the second straight year. Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe.

Among the 25 most populous countries, Egypt, Russia, India, Indonesia and Turkey have the most restrictions on religion, while Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, the Dem. Rep. of the Congo and the U.S. have the fewest restrictions. Click play to see how restrictions have changed in each country since 2007. Read the full report.

Read five facts about religion in Saudi Arabia — a country that is the birthplace of Islam and, as such, holds special importance for Muslims worldwide.

While most adults in Poland say they are willing to accept Jews as fellow citizens, neighbors and family members, almost one-in-five take the opposite position.

The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.