Pew report reveals rising religious hostility and growing government restrictions worldwide in 2023, driven by conflict and minority harassment.
Newsroom (17/06/2026 Gaudium Press ) A new global study has found a significant rise in religious hostility across countries in 2023, alongside a continued increase in government restrictions on religious belief and expression, underscoring a complex and evolving landscape of religious freedom worldwide.
The findings, released June 15 by the Pew Research Center in its 16th annual report on global religious restrictions, point to a growing number of countries experiencing elevated levels of hostility driven by individuals and social groups. Researchers attribute part of this surge to increased harassment of religious minorities and the broader geopolitical fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.
The report, compiled by Pew researchers Samirah Majumdar and Vivian Jacobs, analyzed data from 198 countries and territories, representing nearly the entire global population. Drawing on 19 sources—including national constitutions, reports from the U.S. State Department, United Nations, European Union, FBI, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International—the study offers one of the most comprehensive assessments of global religious restrictions.
Two Measures of Religious Pressure
Pew’s analysis centers on two key metrics: the Government Restrictions Index (GRI) and the Social Hostilities Index (SHI). The GRI tracks official government-imposed limits on religious practices, while the SHI examines acts of hostility carried out by individuals, organizations, or groups, such as vandalism, harassment, and physical violence.
Importantly, the report does not attempt to rank which religious groups suffer the most persecution globally. Even a single incident of harassment in a country contributes to its overall score. This approach reflects the absence of a universally accepted definition of religious persecution, which can manifest in many forms and degrees.
Social Hostility on the Rise
In 2023, 55 of the 198 countries studied recorded high or very high levels of social hostilities involving religion, up from 45 in 2022. While some nations—including Ethiopia and the Philippines—saw a decline in such hostilities, others experienced notable increases.
Countries entering the “high” category for social hostilities included Belgium, Norway, Russia, Spain, and Sweden, alongside several nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey.
In Spain, harassment targeting Muslims, Jews, and Jehovah’s Witnesses contributed to the rise. Norway reported repeated attacks against Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as increased hate speech directed at Jews and Muslims following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict.
Russia also saw an uptick in violent incidents. In one reported case near Moscow, a group of women assaulted a Muslim woman wearing a hijab and her children on a playground, allegedly setting dogs on the family. Such episodes of mob violence significantly influenced the country’s elevated SHI score.
Persistent Government Restrictions
Alongside rising social hostilities, government restrictions on religion remained widespread. According to the report, government harassment—either verbal or physical—occurred in 185 countries, accounting for 98% of those studied and nearly matching 2022’s figures.
Interference with religious worship was also highly prevalent, recorded in 175 countries, or 88% of those analyzed. This marks the highest level observed since the study began, highlighting an intensifying pattern of state involvement in regulating or limiting religious practices.
Pew noted that government restrictions have steadily increased since 2007, suggesting that authorities are employing a growing range of mechanisms to control religious expression.
Countries with the Highest and Lowest Levels
Among the world’s 25 most populous nations, China, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, and Russia registered the highest levels of government restrictions on religion. In contrast, South Africa, the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom showed the lowest levels of state-imposed religious limitations.
North Korea was excluded from the dataset due to a lack of reliable, independent data. However, Pew emphasized that available evidence indicates the country remains among the most repressive globally in terms of religious and civil liberties.
Social Hostilities Concentrated in Key Regions
The study also identified Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt as having the highest levels of social hostilities among the 25 most populous countries. With the exception of Egypt, each of these nations was categorized as having “very high” levels of hostility.
Conversely, China, the United States, South Africa, Japan, and Vietnam recorded the lowest levels of social hostilities in 2023, illustrating a divergence between government restrictions and societal tensions in certain contexts.
Long-Term Trends and Fluctuations
Over the 16 years of the study, Pew observed a consistent rise in the median level of government restrictions worldwide. In contrast, social hostilities have fluctuated more in response to global events, conflicts, and shifting political climates.
The 2023 data reinforces this pattern, showing how geopolitical developments—particularly the Israel-Hamas war—can rapidly exacerbate tensions at the societal level. At the same time, the steady increase in government restrictions points to a broader, long-term trend of narrowing space for religious expression.
Together, these findings paint a complex picture: while spikes in hostility may ebb and flow with global events, institutional restrictions on religion appear to be deepening, shaping the lived realities of billions worldwide.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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