Restrictions on Religion

Brazil and Japan were among countries with the lowest levels of religious restrictions in 2015, while Russia and Egypt were among countries with the highest.

Europe in 2015 saw a rise in social hostilities involving religion, particularly against the continent’s Muslims.

Among the world's 25 most populous countries, Russia, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria stand out as having the most restrictions on religion (as of the end of 2015) when both government restrictions and religious hostilities are taken into account.

Thirty-eight European governments harassed religious groups in limited or widespread ways in 2015, while 24 used some type of force against religious groups.

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.

There were 91 reported aggravated or simple assaults motivated by anti-Muslim bias in 2015, just two shy of the 93 reported in 2001.

The U.S. public expresses a clear consensus on the contentious question of whether employers who have religious objections to contraception should be required to provide it in health insurance plans for their employees.

Apostasy and blasphemy may seem to many like artifacts of history. But in dozens of countries around the world, laws against apostasy and blasphemy remain on the books and often are enforced.

In 2014, the median level of religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa reached a level four times that of the global median.

Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey had some of the highest levels of religious restrictions in 2014.