To measure global restrictions on religion in 2018 – the most recent year for which data is available – the study rates 198 countries and territories by their levels of government restrictions on religion and social hostilities involving religion. The total number of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions has been mounting as well. While government use of force against religious groups decreased in the region, both harassment of religious groups and physical violence against minority groups went up. But, strikingly, 17 countries (21%) with low social hostilities involving religion were classified as authoritarian – including countries like Eritrea and Kazakhstan, which have very high government restrictions on religion. In addition, several other authoritarian states with very high government restrictions on religion – such as China, Iran and Uzbekistan – have only moderate levels of social hostilities involving religion.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 10, 2020 14:48 UTC