Pew: More governments cracking down on religion, with spikes in religious hostility in 2023

Pew: More governments cracking down on religion, with spikes in religious hostility in 2023 June 16, 2026By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News (OSV News) — A new report shows more countries saw spikes in religious hostility by individuals and groups in 2023, the last year for which data is available — with the rise attributable in part to harassment of religious minorities and the ongoing impact of the Israel-Hamas war. At the same time, more governments have been cracking down on religious belief and expression since 2007. The findings were released June 15 by Pew Research Center in its 16th annual report on global religious restriction levels. Pew researchers Samirah Majumdar and Vivian Jacobs assessed data from 198 countries and territories — representing “all but a tiny fraction of the global population” — drawn from 19 key sources, including countries’ constitutions, the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, the European Union, the FBI, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Data was then scored according to two metrics — a Government Restrictions Index, which tracked officially imposed religious restrictions; and a Social Hostilities Index, which measured acts perpetrated by individuals, groups and organizations, such as vandalism and physical attacks. Pew noted that its summary statistics were not intended to determine which particular religious group experienced the most religious persecution, since even a single incident of harassment in a given country was counted. Currently, there is no internationally accepted definition of religious persecution, which can take a variety of forms. According to Pew, 55 of the 198 countries studied had “elevated (high or very high) levels of social hostilities involving religion in 2023,” up from 45 in the year prior. At the same time, Ethiopia and the Philippines saw a drop in religiously based social hostilities that same year, moving from Pew’s high to moderate category for that index. Belgium, Norway, Russia, Spain and Sweden all moved into Pew’s “high” category for the social hostilities index in 2023, along with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand and Turkey. Individual and group harassment of Muslims, Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses drove up Spain’s score for the index in 2023, said Pew. Norway also saw “repeated attacks” against Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as an “increase in hate speech” against Jews and Muslims following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war, Pew said. Mob violence in Russia against both Jews and Muslims helped to drive up that nation’s 2023 score in Pew’s social hostilities index. In one incident, “multiple Russian women attacked a hijab-wearing Muslim woman and her children in a playground” on the edge of Moscow, an incident in which “the attackers allegedly set their dogs on the family and assaulted them,” said Pew. The research firm said that in 2023, “government harassment of religious groups (either verbal or physical) was one of the most common types of restrictions on religion,” continuing a pattern in recent years. Pew said that such harassment “occurred in 185 countries,” or 98% of the total countries studied, in 2023, almost matching the previous year’s number of 186. In addition, said Pew, interference with religious worship “was a very common type of government restriction,” seen in 175 (88%) of the 198 countries and territories it examined — “marking a new peak for the study.” Among the world’s 25 largest nations, Pew found that those with the highest levels of government restrictions on religion were China, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt and Russia. Among the same group of nations, “South Africa, the United States, Japan, the Philippines and the United Kingdom had the lowest levels” of government restrictions on religion, said Pew. Importantly, Pew clarified that North Korea was not included in the study, although “the sources clearly indicate that North Korea’s government is among the most repressive in the world with respect to religion as well as other civil and political liberties.” Pew explained that “North Korean society is effectively closed to outsiders,” and that “independent observers lack regular access to the country,” making data collection from that nation untenable. Among the 25 most populous nations, “Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt had the highest levels of social hostilities involving religion,” said Pew, noting that except for Egypt, those countries scored “very high” on that index. In contrast, said Pew, “China, the U.S., South Africa, Japan and Vietnam” had “the lowest social hostilities scores” among the 25 most populous countries in 2023. Pew noted that over the years it has conducted the study, the median score for government restrictions “has gone up fairly steadily,” while the media for the social hostilities index has “fluctuated.” That trend, said the research center, “suggests that governments have been clamping down on religious beliefs and practices in more ways than they were in 2007,” while “the number of countries with social hostilities has tended to rise and fall with events.” Read More World News Trump and Iran reach tentative deal to end war, but obstacles to peace remain ‘Communion’: JD Vance’s spiritual memoir released as 2028 race heats up World Cup kicks off amid passion, protests in Mexico Catholic, Orthodox leaders condemn Russian attack on Kyiv cathedral Pope Leo XIV approves new statutes for child protection commission With focus on Sacred Heart, bishops make moves to strengthen Church’s mission at spring assembly Copyright © 2026 OSV News Print

Facts Only

Pew Research Center released its 16th annual report on global religious restrictions on June 15, 2026.
The report analyzed data from 198 countries and territories, using 19 key sources, including government documents and human rights organizations.
In 2023, 55 countries had high or very high levels of social hostilities involving religion, up from 45 in 2022.
Government harassment of religious groups occurred in 185 countries (98%) in 2023.
Interference with religious worship was reported in 175 countries (88%) in 2023, a new peak for the study.
Countries with the highest government restrictions on religion among the 25 most populous nations were China, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, and Russia.
Countries with the lowest government restrictions among the same group were South Africa, the U.S., Japan, the Philippines, and the U.K.
Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt had the highest social hostilities involving religion among the 25 most populous nations.
Belgium, Norway, Russia, Spain, and Sweden moved into the "high" category for social hostilities in 2023.
Ethiopia and the Philippines saw a drop in religiously based social hostilities in 2023.
North Korea was excluded from the study due to lack of accessible data.
The median score for government restrictions has risen steadily since 2007, while social hostilities scores have fluctuated.

Executive Summary

A 2026 Pew Research Center report reveals a global increase in religious restrictions and hostilities in 2023, the latest year with available data. The study, covering 198 countries and territories, found that 55 nations experienced high or very high levels of social hostilities involving religion, up from 45 in 2022. This rise was partly driven by harassment of religious minorities and the Israel-Hamas war. Government restrictions on religion also continued to climb, with 185 countries (98%) reporting harassment of religious groups, marking a near-peak in such restrictions. The report highlights regional variations: countries like China, Iran, and Russia imposed the highest government restrictions, while Nigeria, India, and Pakistan saw the most severe social hostilities. Conversely, the U.S., Japan, and the U.K. had lower levels of government restrictions, and China and the U.S. ranked among the lowest in social hostilities among the 25 most populous nations. The study notes a steady increase in government restrictions since 2007, while social hostilities fluctuate with global events. North Korea was excluded due to lack of verifiable data, though it is acknowledged as one of the most repressive regimes regarding religion.

Full Take

The Pew report presents a concerning trend: governments are increasingly restricting religious expression, while social hostilities are rising in tandem with global conflicts. The methodology is robust, drawing from diverse sources, but the exclusion of North Korea underscores the limits of data collection in closed societies. The report avoids overclaiming by noting that its metrics do not determine which religious group faces the most persecution, a refreshing restraint in an era of weaponized victimhood narratives.
Patterns detected: none. The report resists emotional exploitation or distortion, presenting data without sensationalism. However, the framing of "government restrictions" and "social hostilities" as separate indices invites questions about their interplay. For instance, do government crackdowns fuel social tensions, or do social hostilities justify state intervention? The report’s neutrality leaves this unresolved.
Root cause: The rise in restrictions may reflect broader authoritarian trends, where religious expression becomes a proxy for political control. The Israel-Hamas war’s role in spiking hostilities suggests how geopolitical conflicts can polarize societies along religious lines.
Implications: The erosion of religious freedom has cascading effects on pluralism and human dignity. While the U.S. and Japan rank low in restrictions, the global trend suggests a shrinking space for dissenting beliefs. Second-order consequences include normalized harassment of minorities and the weaponization of religion for political ends.
Bridge questions: How might governments justify restrictions as "security measures" while exacerbating social divisions? What role do media and political rhetoric play in amplifying hostilities? Would including North Korea alter the report’s conclusions, or is its exclusion a necessary concession to methodological rigor?
Counterstrike scan: A coordinated influence campaign might exaggerate hostilities to stoke fear or downplay restrictions to normalize repression. This report does neither, presenting data without ideological slant. The absence of manipulative patterns is itself noteworthy—a model of how research can inform without inflaming.

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

The text exhibits the characteristics of well-researched journalistic reporting, synthesizing complex data and specific incidents from a named research body into a coherent narrative.

Signals Detected

Natural variance in sentence length and structure; complex reporting flow.

Specific, nuanced presentation of conflicting statistics and geopolitical context.

Direct citation of specific data points (e.g., 55 out of 198 countries) tied to named sources, indicating original reporting structure.

Human Indicators

The text incorporates highly specific, localized examples (e.g., the incident in Moscow involving women and dogs) that lend a human, evidentiary texture beyond generalized LLM synthesis.

The structure balances broad statistical claims with granular case studies typical of investigative journalism.