Global Religious Freedom Data Spectrum

The Global Religious Freedom Data Spectrum aims to provide a comparative framework for viewing a wide range of data from organizations’ country rankings on the issues of freedom of religion or belief. By placing the rankings of these diverse organizations in one central place, the Data Spectrum offers users the opportunity to identify a richer, ideologically broader look at each country in the world. The maps below show the data in a compelling way that can help people understand the opportunities and gaps in Global Religious Freedom data.

Unique Country Rankings Surveyed in the Project

A project of 21Wilberforce and IIRF

Interactive Data Spectrum Map

On the map below you can view the country rankings of the 13 organizations included in this project. Users can see the overall rankings in the color-coded maps and drill down to view the individual rankings of each country on each of the layers. There is also an “All Data Spectrum Indicators Map” where all the country rankings of each organization are listed.

Map Layer Instructions

In the top left corner of the map, select the “toggle layer list”
Click on the eye button to any specific organizational map you wish to view.
You can click on each country to see their ranking for that map layer.
To view a new organization’s map, you must uncheck the previous layer and then select a new layer.

Data Tables

Country Rankings Instructions

You can use the tool below to filter and compare the country rankings of each organization. Simply choose specific rankings from the dropdown menus or edit the numerical values for the range fields (which are pre-set to include the full numerical range for that organization).

Country	ISO Code	Summary	USCIRF	State Department	Pew—Government Restrictions Index	Pew—Social Hostilities Index	Open Doors—Level of Christian Persecution	Cato—Human Freedom Index	ADL Global—100 Survey	Freedom House—Freedom of Expression and Belief	World Index for Moral Freedom	Varieties of Democracy Index	ARDA Religious Regulation Index	ARDA Religious Minority Discrimination Index	Aid to the Church in Need Report
Afghanistan	AF	Afghanistan’s population is 84.7-89.7% Sunni Muslim and 10-15% Shi’a, Islamilis, and Ahmadi Muslim. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Baha’is, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and others compose the remaining 0.3% of the population. The Taliban has restricted the criminal system in Afghanistan to adhere to their strict interpretation of Islam. A 2007 ruling which has been promoted by the Taliban targets the Baha’i faith and prevents them from openly worshiping. The current 2004 Constitution is going to be overturned and is expected to be replaced with the more fundamentalist 1964 Constitution. All reports agree that Afghanistan has low religious freedom. While USCIRF ranks Afghanistan as a CPC, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. The rule of the Taliban has led to even lower levels of religious freedom recently. Minority groups that do not adhere to the Taliban’s strict rules face violence and persecution. Salafists, Christians, and Hazaras have all faced oppression, ranging from the closing of mosques and places of worship to violence or death. Converts from Islam to Christianity face violence and death from the Taliban.	Country of Particular Concern		High	High	Extreme			1	1.238,00	-217,00	3	3	Persecution
Albania	AL				Low	Low		97			9.238,00	177,00	1	1	Unclassified
Algeria	DZ	99% of Algeria’s 43 million people are Sunni Muslim. The remainder are primarily Jews, Non-Believers, Shi’ite and Ahmadiyya Muslims, and Christians. The Algerian Constitution declares Algeria a Sunni Muslim state and prevents non-Muslims from holding high government positions. Ordinance 06-03 requires all non-Muslim organizations to register with the Government in order to worship and bans non-Muslim proselytization. Algeria has deteriorating levels of religious freedom, as all reports agree with. Blasphemy laws are used to arbitrarily restrict religious worship against non-Muslims, like Ordinance 06-03. Non-Muslim proselytization is banned. Churches, like those in Oran, are repeatedly sealed despite Christian protests to their closure. Discrimination especially targets Protestant Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims, and they both must register with the Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups (CNMRG) in order to practice.	Special Watch List	Special Watch List Country	Very High	High	Very High	54	87	1	1.338,00	-106,00	3	3	Discrimination
Andorra	AD				Moderate	Low				3	8.875,00		0	1	Unclassified
Angola	AO				Moderate	Low		7		2	7.995,00	8,00	1	2	Unclassified
Antigua and Barbuda	AG				Low	Low				4					Unclassified
Argentina	AR				Low	Moderate		99	30	4	8.817,00	241,00	0	2	Unclassified
Armenia	AM				Moderate	Moderate		86	58	2	7.779,00	98,00	1	3	Unclassified
Australia	AU				Low	Moderate		98	14	4	9.841,00	228,00	1	1	Unclassified
Austria	AT				Moderate	Moderate		87	20	3	8.863,00	81,00	1	2	Unclassified
Azerbaijan	AZ	97% of the population is Muslim, with 65% identifying as Shi’a and 35% identifying as Sunni. The remaining 3% identify as Non Believers, Catholics, Armenian Apostolic Christians, Georgian Orthodox Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The Azerbaijani Constitution mandates secular separation of church and state (Article 18) and permits free practice of religion (Article 48). However, much legislation dictates otherwise like the 2009 On Freedom of Religious Beliefs Law, which restricts worship and the distribution of religious texts plus mandates religious group registration. The 2015 Law on Religious Radicalism gives authorities unlimited power in fighting “extremism.” Only groups belonging to the Caucasus Muslim Board have the right to exist. All reports agree that Azerbaijan has generally decreasing levels of religious freedom, with a few positive developments. The main exception is Pew’s SHI, only ranking Azerbaijan as having “Moderate” levels of social hostilities. Also, the ADL only listed 37% of the population as expressing generally anti-Semitic attitudes. While USCIRF ranks Azerbaijan as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. In early 2021, amendments to the 2009 On Freedom of Religious Beliefs Law instituted mandates for governmental approval of religious leader appointments and restrictions on worship/ceremonies to Azerbaijani citizens only. President Aliyev pardoned 31 Muslim religious activists in mid-March, however, many others of the same Muslim Unity Movement were arbitrarily arrested later in the year. In addition, concerns remain over government-sanctioned desecration of religious cultural and religious sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region (disputed with Armenia).	Special Watch List		Very High	Moderate		51	37	0	4.373,00	-74,00	3	3	Discrimination
Bahamas	BS				Moderate	Low		10		4	7.925,00		1	1	Unclassified
Bahrain	BH				High	Moderate		3	81	1	15,00	-139,00	3	3	Unclassified
Bangladesh	BD				High	High	Very High	78	32	2	3.118,00	129,00	3	2	Persecution
Barbados	BB				Low	Low		99		4		237,00	1	0	Unclassified
Belarus	BY				High	Low		61	38	1	544,00	-36,00	3	3	Unclassified
Belgium	BE				Moderate	High		91	24	3	9.425,00	182,00	1	2	Unclassified
Belize	BZ				Low	Low		10		4			1	1	Unclassified
Benin	BJ				Low	Moderate		96		4		246,00	1	0	Unclassified
Bhutan	BT				High	Low	Very High	72		2		-78,00	2	3	Unclassified
Bolivia	BO				Low	Moderate		83	30	4	8.675,00	222,00	2	2	Unclassified
Bosnia and Herzegovina	BA				Moderate	Moderate		87	32	3	8.675,00	99,00	1	3	Unclassified
Botswana	BW				Low	Low		88	33	4	98,00	178,00	1	1	Unclassified
Brazil	BR				Moderate	High		85	16	4	8.629,00	59,00	1	1	Unclassified
Brunei Darussalam	BN				Very High	Low	Very High	5		1	1.238,00		3	3	Discrimination
Bulgaria	BG				High	High		84	44	3	7.738,00	109,00	3	3	Unclassified
Burkina Faso	BF				Moderate	High	Very High	93		3		115,00	1	0	Persecution
Burundi	BI				Moderate	Moderate		61		3		101,00	2	0	Unclassified
Cabo Verde	CV				Low	Low		99				241,00	1	1	Unclassified
Cambodia	KH				Moderate	Low		69		3	5.397,00	92,00	2	1	Unclassified
Cameroon	CM				Moderate	High		76	35	2	7.738,00	179,00	0	0	Persecution
Canada	CA				Low	Moderate		96	8	3	9.957,00	206,00	1	0	Unclassified
Central African Republic	CF	Around 89% of the population is Christian, with 9% being Muslim, 1% practicing Folk Religion, and 1% Unaffiliated. CAR’s Constitution guarantees free practice of religion and equal protection under the law, as well as bans religious intolerance and “fundamentalism”, despite previous progress in 2020. However, quite a few reports are outliers. Pew’s GRI Designates CAR as having “Moderate” levels of government religious restrictions. Cato ranks CAR at 8.3 out of 10, with 10 being the most religiously free. The RRI and RMD both rank CAR at 1 out of 3. While USCIRF ranks CAR as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. Most discrimination is against the Muslim minority. Authorities and fighters with Russian ties engage in regular arbitrary imprisonment, murder, and torture. Mosques—like those in Bambari—are overrun, with hate crimes against Muslims (and religious leaders) on the rise. Muslims are often charged higher fees/fines than non-Muslims for the same crimes. Although investigations have been opened against such allegations, no serious action has been taken. In fact, CAR authorities have been accused of obstructing investigations by the Special Criminal Court.	Special Watch List		Moderate	High	Very High	83		0	2.088,00	169,00	1	1	Unclassified
Chad	TD				Moderate	Moderate		79		1		92,00	3	2	Persecution
Chile	CL				Low	Low		99	37	4	905,00	213,00	1	2	Unclassified
China	CN	China is approximately 18% Buddhist, 5% Christian, and 2% Muslim. The remainder of the religious population practices Falun Gong, Taoism, and Indigenous Beliefs. However, most Chinese are Unaffiliated, as the State espouses Atheism. Provisions may exist in Article 36 of the 1982 Chinese Constitution protecting “freedom of religious belief,” but this is not the case in actuality. There are only 5 permitted religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. Article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Code makes membership in certain religions, like Falun Gong or Church of the Almighty God, punishable by up to life imprisonment. The 2018 Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs (RRRA) law prohibits all unauthorized religious teachings and provided local authorities more control in regulating religious practice. The Measures on Managing Religious Groups (MRG) law was passed in 2020, restricting spaces where religion can be practiced. Hong Kong’s National Security Law makes it easier for the Government to target religious practitioners there, especially prominent Catholics such as Jimmy Lai. China has generally low levels of religious freedom, as reflected in most reports. The main exception was Pew’s SHI, which designated Chinese levels of social hostilities as “Low.” President Xi Jingping’s government has heavily pursued “Sinicization of Religion,” cracking down on Western practices through actions like imprisoning Catholic bishops. It uses extensive advanced surveillance against religious minorities. Falun Gong practitioners are subject to arbitrary imprisonment and torture. Most notably, the ruling Chinese Communist Party has targeted Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists. It has opened detention camps for Uyghur Muslims, engaging in sterilization, rape, torture, forced labor practices, and even genocide to suppress them. The CCP has limited Tibetan Buddhists’ free practice by restricting visitation to monasteries/temples and banning traditional religious gatherings.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Low	Very High	17	20	0	3.686,00	-267,00	3	3	Persecution
Colombia	CO				Low	Moderate	Very High	88	41	4	9.221,00	122,00	1	1	Unclassified
Comoros	KM			Special Watch List Country	High	Low		48		2	2.175,00	-25,00	2	3	Unclassified
Congo (Republic of)	CG				Low	Low		81		3		134,00	1	0	Unclassified
Costa Rica	CR				Moderate	Low		92	32		745,00	196,00	2	2	Unclassified
Cote d'Ivoire	CI				Low	Low		93	22	3	9.138,00	168,00	2	0	Unclassified
Croatia	HR				Low	Low		96	33	3	9.238,00	151,00	1	2	Unclassified
Cuba	CU	60-70% of Cubans practice Roman Catholicism, while 25-30% identify as Unaffiliated or practice another religion. This includes a slew of Protestant denominations, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists. Around 70% of Cubans engage in one or more Santeria practices, a syncretic faith mixing Yoruba and Catholic traditions. Demographic data is difficult to confirm due to tight control on dissemination of information. Cuba’s new 2019 Constitution protects religious freedom and prohibits discrimination, but other legislation contradicts this. Examples include Decree-Law 35, which obligates telecommunications providers to stop the activity of news outlets spreading “fake” information or information impeding “respect of public order.” The Office of Religious Affairs, or ORA, repressively enforces religious policy. There is no independent judiciary to check Government action. Religious freedom in Cuba remains highly restricted, as most reports concur. Pew’s SHI serves as an exception to this, designating Cuba as having “Low” levels of social hostilities. In addition, Freedom House ranks Cuba 3 out of 4 on Survey Question D2 “Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private?” The Government (self-described as communist) regularly uses surveillance, harassment, and arbitrary interpretation of legislation to persecute those advocating for all religious tolerance. In July, mass protests were held against the Government’s religious policies, with participants later detained and facing harassment even after release. The same occurred for the Archipiélago Protests in November. Journalists—especially independent journalists—are routinely targeted, such as Yoel Suarez.	Special Watch List	Special Watch List Country	High	Low	Very High			3	4.978,00	1,00	3	3	Discrimination
Cyprus	CY				Moderate	Moderate		9			755,00	135,00	2	2	Unclassified
Czech Republic	CZ				Moderate	Moderate		95	13		8.963,00	151,00	2	2	Unclassified
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)	CD				Low	Moderate	Very High	65		3		74,00	1	1	Persecution
Denmark	DK				Moderate	High		95	10		8.775,00	225,00	3	2	Unclassified
Djibouti	DJ				Moderate	Low		53		2	265,00	-4,00	3	0	Discrimination
Dominica	DM				Moderate	Low				4	9.613,00				Unclassified
Dominican Republic	DO				Low	Low		96	41		9.513,00	185,00	0	2	Unclassified
Ecuador	EC				Moderate	Low		96		4	7.634,00	199,00	1	1	Unclassified
Egypt	EG	90% of Egypt’s population is Sunni Muslim, whereas under 1% are Shi’a/other Muslim and 10% are Coptic Christian. There are rumored to be around 20 Jews, 1,500 Jehovah’s Witnesses, and 2,000 Baha’i. Article 2 of Egypt’s Constitution identifies Islam as the state religion and stipulates that Sharia is the primary source of legislation. There are bans on practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses and Bahaism. Only Muslims, Christians, and Jews can freely practice, per Article 64 of the Constitution. Law 98(f) of Egypt’s Penal Code bans insults of “heavenly religions,” i.e, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Vague laws are used by authorities to shut down “blasphemy.” Recent Constitutional amendments allow President el-Sisi to remain in office until 2030 and increased military power. Although conditions have improved somewhat, the state of Egyptian religious freedom is generally low, as all reports agree with no exceptions. While USCIRF ranks Egypt as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. Christian communities face years of administrative backlog for building churches. Egypt’s criminal justice system routinely imprisons religious dissidents, including Christians (Patrick Zaki and Ramy Kamel), Quaranists (Reda Abdel Rahman), and Shi’a Muslims, often using emergency laws as justification. ISIS maintains a presence in the Sinai region. There is an identity card system in place which lists religion, opening the door for minorities to be discriminated against.	Special Watch List		Very High	High	Very High	32	75	1	1.257,00	-9,00	3	3	Discrimination
El Salvador	SV				Low	Moderate		93		3	8.388,00	225,00	2	1	Unclassified
Equatorial Guinea	GQ				Moderate	Low				1	745,00	51,00	3	1	Unclassified
Eritrea	ER	Eritrea’s population is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims, each at 49%. Christians tend to live in the South, and Muslims the North. The remaining 2% practice Traditional African Religions, with a small proportion of Baha’i. Although the Eritrean Constitution protects “freedom of thought, conscience, and belief,” Proclamation 73 displays otherwise. Passed in 1995, it enables the Government to exercise full authority in religious matters. The Government often uses Proclamation 73 as a pretext to crack down on anyone who opposes the Regime. Eritrea has generally low levels of religious freedom, as every report with data is sure to point out. The exception is Pew SHI, designating Eritrea as having “Low” levels of social hostilities. Ongoing conflicts in neighboring Ethiopia have spilled into Eritrea, which the dictatorial regime of President Isias Afwerki continually uses as an excuse to restrict religious freedom. Afwerki’s Government only permits practice of 4 religions: Sunni Islam, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea. Many are arbitrarily imprisoned on the basis of their faith for extended time periods, especially Jehovah’s Witnesses for objecting to military service. This also extends to church leadership, such as the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, imprisoned from 2006-2022 (he later died in captivity). Fortunately, COVID-19 has caused the release of many religious prisoners due to prison overcrowding.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Low	Extreme			1	2.013,00	-224,00	3	3	Persecution
Estonia	EE				Low	Low		97	22		9.366,00	208,00	2	1	Unclassified
Eswatini	SZ							78		2	7.638,00	59,00	1	1	Unclassified
Ethiopia	ET				Moderate	High	Very High	76		1	6.911,00	46,00	3	2	Discrimination
Fiji	FJ				Low	Low		86		4		109,00	1	1	Unclassified
Finland	FI				Moderate	Moderate		96	15		9.238,00	252,00	1	1	Unclassified
France	FR				High	Moderate		89	17		837,00	153,00	2	2	Unclassified
Gabon	GA				Low	Low		96		3		92,00	1	1	Unclassified
Gambia	GM				Low	Moderate		97		2	873,00	114,00	2	1	Unclassified
Georgia	GE				Moderate	Moderate		86	32	2	762,00	43,00	2	3	Unclassified
Germany	DE				Moderate	High		9	15	3	9.308,00	199,00	2	3	Unclassified
Ghana	GH				Low	Moderate		98	15	3	9.513,00	248,00	2	1	Unclassified
Greece	GR				Moderate	Moderate		82	67		8.488,00	47,00	2	3	Unclassified
Grenada	GD				Low	Low				4					Unclassified
Guatemala	GT				Low	Low		96	36	4	8.388,00	155,00	2	1	Unclassified
Guinea	GN				Moderate	Moderate		9		3	7.638,00	115,00	1	1	Unclassified
Guinea-Bissau	GW				Low	Low		96		3	9.513,00	216,00	2	0	Unclassified
Guyana	GY				Moderate	Low		97		4	7.738,00	208,00	1	1	Unclassified
Haiti	HT				Low	Moderate		9	26	3	9.613,00	164,00	2	1	Unclassified
Vatican City	VA
Honduras	HN				Low	Moderate		97		4	8.388,00	173,00	2	2	Unclassified
Hong Kong	HK				Low	Low		86		4		5,00
Hungary	HU				Moderate	Moderate		84	42	3	7.634,00	144,00	1	2	Unclassified
Iceland	IS				Moderate	Low		98	16		9.424,00	22,00	1	1	Unclassified
India	IN	Although India is thought of as a strongly Hindu country, this is not necessarily the case. India is approximately 79.8% Hindu, 14.2% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, and 1.7% Sikh, with smatterings of other groups — this includes Jews, Zoroastrians, the Baha’i, etc. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution officially establishes a secular society and free practice of religion. India has a generally moderate, yet decreasing, level of religious freedom. Every report agrees that disinformation in the media and discriminatory government figures are to blame. While USCIRF ranks India as a CPC, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. Since 2014, India has been governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP’s increasing grasp on power has enabled the country to begin crackdowns on non-Hindu religious expression. One-third of states ban religious conversion in various forms, such as interfaith marriage. The BJP Government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, discriminating against Muslim refugees but fast-tracking non-Muslim ones. They also passed the Sedition Law and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), cracking down on permitted religious expression. The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) severely limits funding religious NGOs can receive. Since 2020, there has been outbreaks of Hindu-Muslim mob violence and acquittal of religious hate crime perpetrators.	Country of Particular Concern		High	Very High	Extreme	57	20	2	7.259,00	-18,00	3	3	Persecution
Indonesia	ID	Indonesia is around 87.2% Muslim, the world’s most populous Muslim country. 7% of the population are Protestant Christians, 2.9% are Roman Catholic, and 1.7% are Hindus. 0.9% identify as Buddhist or Confucianist. The government officially recognizes only 5 religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Article 29 of Indonesia’s Constitution protects freedom of worship and religious belief, however, although this is only in theory. Extreme laws are enforced burdening the process of building worship houses, like the 2006 Joint Regulation Law. Blasphemy laws also exist, especially impacting press freedom (Presidential Decree Number 1, Criminal Article Code 156a, Law Number 11). All reports agree that religious freedom conditions in Indonesia remain low—and unchanged—compared to past years, in spite of President Joko Widodo claiming to promote the state’s “moderate version of Islam.” While USCIRF ranks Indonesia as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. Primary restrictions of religious freedom come in the form of harsh restrictions on worship house building (2006 Joint Regulation) and blasphemy laws (Presidential Decree Number 1, Criminal Article Code 156a, Law Number 11). Authorities rigidly enforce these laws, including by arresting religious leaders. Despite national protests, these extreme laws are replacing the old Dutch criminal code, which was more tolerant. Islamist extremist attacks remain a threat to minority religious groups, such as by ISIS. Sharia is imposed in most provinces, especially Aceh. Government ID cards mandate listing of religion, opening the door to discrimination of non-Muslims.	Special Watch List		Very High	High	Very High	65	48	1	2.051,00	-7,00	3	3	Discrimination
Iran	IR	Iran is primarily Shi’a Muslim, comprising 95% of its religious population. Sunni Muslims account for around 5-10%, while Jews, Christians, Zoroastrianism, and those of the Baha’i faith account for the remaining 0.3%. The Constitution of Iran makes Islam the official religion of the nation. Iran has outlawed the conversion of Muslims to other religions and has cracked down on interpretations of Islam different from the State’s interpretation. Article 20 of the Iranian Constitution states that equality of the law will not be protected if citizens do not conform to the State’s Islamic criteria. Article 110 of Iran’s Constitution creates a “Spiritual Leader” as a Muslim and political leader. The reports generally agree that Iran has low religious freedom. However, Pew’s Social Hostilities Index ranks religious social tensions as “Moderate,” an outlier compared to the other low religious freedom scores given by most other reports. Reports concur that Iran’s persecution of Sunni Muslims is a main reason for low religious freedom ratings. Sunni Muslims find difficulty in obtaining government jobs, getting education, or creating places of worship. They have seen places of worship destroyed or relocated. Baha’i faced mass arrests in 2021 and Iran’s Government recently denied them the right to bury their dead in a religiously appropriate manner. Non-Muslims are banned from participating in certain Government positions: this mainly targets recent converts from Islam. Christians and Jews face heavy forms of discrimination and persecution from the government and in social spheres.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Extreme	39	60	0	708,00	-95,00	3	3	Persecution
Iraq	IQ	Iraq’s population is predominately Muslim and divided into 60-64% Shi’a Muslims and 29-34% Sunni Muslim. The remaining 1-5% of the population is divided into Yazidis, Christians, Kaka’is, and a small number of Jews. While the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, a 2015 religious conversion law makes the children of a Muslim convert, a Muslim even if the other parent is not Muslim. The Yazidi survivor law, however, represents a protection for the oppression the religious community faced under ISIS. The reports mainly agree that Iraq has low levels of religious freedom. However, the Religious Regulation Index gives Iraq a score of 1 out of 3 which is dramatically better than how Pew, Freedom House, and other reports rank Iraq. Also, while USCIRF ranks Iraq as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation. While the reports cite the positive trend of openness Iraq has shown to religious pluralism, they still point to low religious freedom in the country. This is mainly attributed to the support for Islam in the Constitution over other religions. Islam is seen as the “source of legislation” which means no laws can contradict Islam. They also mention that people are asked for religious affiliation when applying for an identification card. The reports also cite blasphemy laws that still exist in the law.	Special Watch List		Very High	Very High	Very High	73	92	1	963,00	-95,00	1	3	Discrimination
Ireland	IE				Low	Moderate		96	20		9.238,00	217,00	1	1	Unclassified
Israel	IL				High	Very High		92		3	7.738,00	174,00	3	2	Unclassified
Italy	IT				Moderate	Moderate		92	18	4	9.308,00	216,00	0	2	Unclassified
Jamaica	JM				Low	Low		98	18		9.613,00	129,00	1	1	Unclassified
Japan	JP				Low	Low		96	23	4	925,00	251,00	0	1	Unclassified
Jordan	JO				High	High	Very High	6	81	2	296,00	-5,00	3	3	Discrimination
Kazakhstan	KZ	The population of Kazakhstan is divided into 70% Sunni Muslims, 26% Christians, 3% Jews, Buddhists, and others, and 1% Shi’a and Sufi Muslim. The 2011 Religion Law made Kazakhstan one of the most oppressive post-Soviet Central Asian states. The law set registration requirements and banned/heavily restricted unregistered religious activity, but the government has been working to reverse these reforms. The reports generally agree that Kazakhstan has low to very low religious freedom. However, Pew Social Hostilities Index gives Kazakhstan a “Moderate” rating which is noticeably lower than other reports. The reports mainly attribute these low ratings to the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations. The law created registration requirements for religious organizations, banned unregistered religious activity, and prohibited the distribution of religious text outside of religious institutions. Most reports agree that there are improving conditions of religious freedom with parts of the 2011 Law being rescinded and the Constitution guaranteeing the right to free exercise of religion. However, Open Doors believe these changes will actually make it harder for Christians to practice outside of state-approved institutions. While USCIRF ranks Kazakhstan as a SWL, the State Department has not accepted that recommendation.	Special Watch List		Very High	Moderate	Very High	48	32	1	3.882,00	-31,00	3	3	Discrimination
Kenya	KE				Moderate	High		78	35	2	775,00	2,00	2	2	Unclassified
Kiribati	KI				Low	Low				4					Unclassified
Kosovo	XK				Moderate	Moderate				2		208,00			Unclassified
Kuwait	KW				High	Low	Very High	62	82	2	2.188,00	8,00	3	3	Discrimination
Kyrgyzstan	KG				Very High	Moderate		72		2	4.288,00	83,00	3	3	Discrimination
Laos	LA				High	Moderate	Very High	49	2	1	67,00	-6,00	3	3	Discrimination
Latvia	LV				Moderate	Low		97	28	4	9.338,00	219,00	2	2	Unclassified
Lebanon	LB				High	High		88	78	3	7.605,00	119,00	1	2	Unclassified
Lesotho	LS				Low	Low		98		4		171,00	1	0	Unclassified
Liberia	LR				Low	Moderate		86		3	9.613,00	102,00	2	1	Unclassified
Libya	LY				High	Very High	Extreme	53	87	1	1.821,00	-182,00	2	3	Persecution
Liechtenstein	LI				Low	Low							1	1	Unclassified
Lithuania	LT				Moderate	Low		98	36		9.338,00	14,00	2	2	Unclassified
Luxembourg	LU				Moderate	Low		97			9.338,00	192,00	2	1	Unclassified
Madagascar	MG				Moderate	Low		86		3	7.738,00	95,00	2	2	Discrimination
Malawi	MW				Low	Moderate		95		4	86,00	171,00	1	2	Unclassified
Malaysia	MY	61.3% of the population is Muslim, with the vast majority of those Muslims being Sunni. 19.8% of Malaysians are Buddhist, 9.2% are Christian, 6.3% are Hindu, 1.3% are Confucianist/Taoist/Chinese Religion, and 0.8% are Unaffiliated. Article 3 of Malaysia’s Constitution declares Sunni Islam the official religion. Article 160 ties Malay ethnicity with Islam, opening the door to religious freedom violations of ethnic Malays. Article 11(4) enables the State to “control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among” Muslim people. All reports agree that religious freedom conditions in Malaysia are declining, especially in light of growing instability within the previously smooth-functioning multiparty democracy there. Cato is the sole exception, ranking Malaysia at 7.4 out of 10, with 10 being the most religiously free. The Government mandates adherence to a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam. Malaysia delegates enforcement of Sharia to the states in its dual legal system, often leading to discrimination against non-Muslims and criminalizing attempts to convert out of Islam. Public school curriculum portrays the “superiority” of Sunni Islam compared to Shi’a Islam and Christianity, as supported by the Government. There is great controversy about whether to even officially classify Ahmadiyya Muslims as Muslims. There is also great tension between Islamist political parties advocating for conservative interpretations of Islam (UMNO/PAS) and more secularist figures.	Special Watch List		Very High	High	Very High	74	61	1	6.797,00	-28,00	3	3	Persecution
Maldives	MV				Very High	Moderate	Very High			0	2.575,00	-238,00	3	3	Discrimination
Mali	ML				Low	High	Very High	91		2	7.825,00	42,00	1	1	Persecution
Malta	MT				Low	Low		98		4	9.138,00	181,00	1	1	Unclassified
Marshall Islands	MH				Low	Low				4					Unclassified
Mauritania	MR				High	Moderate	Very High	52		2	3,00	-241,00	3	3	Discrimination
Mauritius	MU				Low	Low		9	44		9.613,00	168,00	1	1	Unclassified
Mexico	MX				Moderate	High	Very High	85	24	4	8.225,00	126,00	3	2	Unclassified
Micronesia	FM				Low	Low									Unclassified
Moldova	MD				High	High		82	30	3	7.638,00	168,00	3	2	Unclassified
Monaco	MC				Moderate	Low					605,00				Unclassified
Mongolia	MN				Moderate	Low		89	26		7.738,00	118,00	1	2	Unclassified
Montenegro	ME				Moderate	Low		83	29	3	9.238,00	86,00			Unclassified
Morocco	MA				High	Moderate	Very High	4	80	2	2.946,00	-116,00	3	3	Discrimination
Mozambique	MZ				Moderate	Moderate	Very High	89		3	7.738,00	137,00	2	1	Persecution
Myanmar	MM	Myanmar has a Buddhist-majority population (87.9%), with smaller Christian (6.2%), Muslim (4.3%), Animist (0.8%), and Hindu (0.5%) populations. The 2008 Constitution recognizes all these religions, but treats the Buddhist religion as the de facto state religion. Pre-coup criticism of the ruling NLD Party included its inaction on the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. Members of religious organizations are banned from voting and running in elections. In addition, the Government uses travel restrictions to arrest Rohingya Muslims who look to flee violence. The general trends among various reports is a low or very low score for religious freedom in Myanmar/Burma. Pew’s Social Hostilities Index stands out from other reports by ranking Myanmar at “Moderate,” whereas the other reports show social hostility for practicing Christianity or Islam. The low scores are explained by the Government’s actions against Rohingya Muslims. The Myanmar Government has forced the Rohingya Muslims to relocate to neighboring Bangladesh, increasing the prevalence of sickness, sexual abuse, and murder. The International Court of Justice has began investigations into genocide against Rohingya Muslims. The government has also interfered in Buddhist religious assemblies. Buddhists have also faced crackdowns on their political activities after their advocating for rights for religious minorities. Christians have also faced military and social attacks in the form of bombings and being outcasts from communities.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High	6		1	1.214,00	-91,00	3	3	Persecution
Namibia	NA				Low	Low		96				238,00	0	0	Unclassified
Nauru	NR				Low	Low									Unclassified
Nepal	NP				High	Moderate	Very High	85		2	6.238,00	47,00	2	2	Discrimination
Netherlands	NL				Moderate	Moderate		96	10		9.338,00	242,00	1	1	Unclassified
New Zealand	NZ				Low	Moderate		99	14		9.713,00	272,00	1	1	Unclassified
Nicaragua	NI	Nicaragua is approximately 50% Roman Catholic, 33.2% Evangelical Christian, 13.2% Unspecified/Unknown, 2.9% Jews/Muslims/Others, and 0.7% Unaffiliated. Article 14 of the Nicaraguan Constitution prevents establishment of an official religion, and Article 27 bars religious based discrimination. Other Articles guarantee freedom of conscience and free religious assembly. However, the Constitution alludes to “Christian values” which the country was founded on. All religious groups, excepting the Catholic Church, must register with the State. Most reports agree that religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua remain low—and unchanged—compared to past years. However, there are many exceptions. Pew’s GRI and SHI designate Nicaragua as having “Moderate” levels of government religious restrictions and “Moderate” levels of social hostilities, respectively. The Religious Minority Discrimination Index ranks Nicaragua as at 1 out of 3, with 3 being the highest religious minority discrimination. Persecution primarily manifests in President Ortega’s authoritarian policies, especially against the Catholic clergy (as was the case after clergy members supported protests against government reforms to the public pension system). Members of the press are routinely arrested. Worshipers and clergy members are harassed. Church property is vandalized and stolen. Ortega and his wife make public comments lambasting the Church, and regularly torture dissidents. The Government cancels visas and prevents the return of priests abroad, usually for arbitrary reasons. Ortega’s FSLN Party supports his oppressive religious policies.	Special Watch List	Special Watch List Country	Moderate	Moderate		58	34	2	7.075,00	51,00	2	1	Discrimination
Niger	NE				High	High		84		2		96,00	3	0	Persecution
Nigeria	NG	Nigeria is nearly equally split between Christians (53.5%) and Muslims (45.9%). The rest of the population identifies with other religions, including African traditional religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Upon Olusegun Obasanjo’s rise to power in 1999, a new Constitution was crafted banning religious-based discrimination and establishment of a state religion. The Nigerian Criminal Code imposes two-year penalties for insulting someone’s religion. Shari’a Codes in Northern Nigeria’s 12 majority-Muslim states prohibit blasphemy, among instituting traditional punishments for crimes. Nigeria has generally low levels of religious freedoms, as reflected in all reports except VDI, which gives Nigeria a surprisingly high ranking. Islamist extremism has been the primary form of religious tension in Nigeria, perpetrated by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP). Both Islamic fundamentalist groups engage in attacks against Christian places of worship, executions, and persecution of opponents via arbitrary blasphemy laws, especially in Kano State. There are also occasional crimes against Muslims and mosques, although this is on a lesser scale. Certain cases of violence are due to conflicts between Christian farmers and Fulani Muslim herdsmen because climate change, differences in religious beliefs, and encroaching desertification has been moving herdsmen into non-traditional areas: this is known as the “Middle Belt Conflict.”	Country of Particular Concern		Moderate	Very High	Extreme	78	16	1	6.754,00	78,00	2	3	Persecution
North Korea	KP	Due to its closeted nature, demographic information is difficult to discern and is often outdated. Historically, North Koreans followed Chondoism and Buddhism, with a sizable Christian community. However, most religious practice is illegal. Now, the country is approximately 71% Irreligious, 13% Chondoist, 13% Folk Religion, 2% Christian, and 1.5% Buddhist. Despite Article 68 of North Korea’s Constitution guaranteeing “freedom of religious belief,” North Korea’s ruling Juche ideology essentially bans all religion. Juche requires utmost personal loyalty to the Supreme Leader (rather than a religion), economic self-sufficiency, and a strong military, all in ultimate pursuit of complete national autonomy. North Korea has extremely low religious freedom, if not the lowest globally, as every report with data is sure to point out. The Songbun System officially classifies citizens based on their loyalty to the Kim Regime: if a citizen is deemed “hostile,” they are subject to harassment, imprisonment, and execution. Persecution is used against those who practice religion, such as owning Bibles. This persecution includes arbitrary surveillance, beatings, torture, etc. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) and Ministry of People’s Security (MPS) are in charge of operating detention centers and so-called reeducation camps for those who practice religion. Christians are especially targeted under such policies, followed by Shamanists, the latter practicing of which is deemed a “Crime of Superstition” by the Regime.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern			Extreme			0		-323,00	3	3	Persecution
North Macedonia	MK				Moderate	Moderate		84		3	8.675,00	123,00	3	3	Unclassified
Norway	NO				Moderate	Moderate		96	15		9.338,00	27,00	1	2	Unclassified
Oman	OM				High	Low	Very High	57	76		2.438,00	0,00	3	3	Discrimination
Pakistan	PK	Pakistan’s population is 85-90% Sunni Muslim, 10-15% Shi’a Muslim, and 0.2% Ahmadi Muslim. There are small populations of Hindus at (1.6%), Christians (1.6%), and Sikhs/Buddhists/Baha’is/Zoroastrians (less than 1%). Article 2 of Pakistan’s Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and requires all laws to be consistent with Islam. Ahmadis are considered “not to be Muslims” by the Constitution, despite their self identification: thus, they lack the same protections other Muslims have. Blasphemy laws are used to prosecute religious minority groups. Reports generally agree that Pakistan has low religious freedom. They all state discrimination against religious minority groups as reasoning. Pakistan’s judicial system is based on adherence to Islamic law, and the Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion. Blasphemy laws are used against Christians and Shi’a Muslims for purposes of criminal prosecution and mob violence. The Prime Minister and President must be Muslim, and must swear an oath to protect the Islam in the country while affirming their belief in Allah. Expressions of non-religious views are severely persecuted and often met with violence. Ahmadis who self identify as Muslims are forced to renounce their Islam and admit they are only able to “obtain basic civil rights.” For proclaiming their faith, Ahmadis are subject to imprisonment, death, or fines. Christian church leaders can face imprisonment if they do not follow instructions given by the State and authorities. Extremism promoted by government officials should also be taken note of, as the encouragement of violence against minorities has led to attacks on religious minorities.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	High	Very High	Extreme	63		1	1.531,00	-146,00	3	3	Persecution
Palau	PW				Low	Low									Unclassified
Panama	PA				Low	Low		92	52		9.425,00	21,00	2	1	Unclassified
Papua New Guinea	PG				Low	Moderate		97			9.613,00	169,00	2	1	Unclassified
Paraguay	PY				Low	Moderate		9	35		8.488,00	223,00	2	2	Unclassified
Peru	PE				Low	Low		98	38		905,00	221,00	2	2	Unclassified
Philippines	PH				Low	High		74	3	4	6.596,00	74,00	2	0	Unclassified
Poland	PL				Moderate	Moderate		88	48	4	755,00	133,00	2	1	Unclassified
Portugal	PT				Low	Low		98	21		9.338,00	245,00	2	1	Unclassified
Qatar	QA				High	Low	Very High	54	80	2	3.188,00	-205,00	3	3	Discrimination
Romania	RO				High	Moderate		9	47		8.213,00	83,00	2	3	Unclassified
Russia	RU	68% of Russians are members of the Russian Orthodox Church, 7% are Muslims, and the remaining 25% come from a vast array of other religions. This includes Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, Baha'is, and practitioners of indigenous religions. Article 14 of the Russian Constitution officially establishes a secular state. However, 2020 Amendments described a “belief in God” as a core national value. The state enforces a 1996 law restricting religious freedom for certain groups. It also enforces a 2002 law targeting “extremism,” and more recent anti-blasphemy/anti-missionary laws. Such laws are often vague, giving excess prerogative to the Government in religious freedom crackdowns. Russia has a generally moderate, yet noticeably decreasing level of religious freedom. Every report agrees that an increasingly authoritarian government is to blame, under President Putin’s unchecked executive power. Non-traditional religions are targeted, and members subject to fines, detentions, criminal prosecution, torture, etc. This includes Muslims in regions like Chechnya, plus Jehovah’s Witnesses. Mosques are often targeted by government raids. This mosque raiding has extended to Crimean Muslims in wake of Russia’s takeover of the region in 2014. Russia also has the 3rd highest global proportion of criminal blasphemy cases, the majority of which result in guilty verdicts. As of 2020, legislation is being considered in the Duma to require recertification of internationally educated clergy and restrict who can lead religious groups.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	High		51	31	1	4.632,00	-12,00	3	3	Unclassified
Rwanda	RW				Moderate	Moderate		52		2	6.911,00	41,00	3	2	Unclassified
Saint Kitts and Nevis	KN				Low	Low									Unclassified
Saint Lucia	LC				Low	Low					9.613,00				Unclassified
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	VC				Low	Low					9.613,00				Unclassified
Samoa	WS				Low	Moderate									Unclassified
San Marino	SM				Low	Low					9.238,00				Unclassified
São Tomé and Príncipe	ST				Low	Low						196,00			Unclassified
Saudi Arabia	SA	Saudi Arabia’s population is almost exclusively Muslim. 85-90% of the population is Sunni Muslim, while the remaining 10-15% are Shi’ites. However, due to the high numbers of expat residents, it is estimated that there are around 2 million Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, and Folk Religion Practitioners combined. The Unaffiliated, Atheists, and Agnostics often hide their beliefs out of fear, so their statistics are difficult to gauge. King Salman is officially “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” Per the 1992 Saudi Basic Law of Governance, the country’s Constitution consists of the Qur’an and Sunna (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad). This Basic Law fails to recognize religious freedom, declaring Islam the sole state religion. Saudi Arabia’s judiciary follows the Hanbali jurisprudential interpretation of Sharia Law, prescribing often harsh capital punishments. Its Guardianship System places severe limitations on women's freedom of choice, movement, and speech. Religious police known as Mutawa strictly control public behavior. The government’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs monitors “acceptable preaching.” Saudi Arabia has low levels of religious freedom, and almost every report agrees as such. The main exception is Pew’s SHI, designating Saudi Arabia as having “Moderate” levels of social hostilities. Non-Muslim prayer and construction of non-Muslim worship houses are forbidden. Those espousing beliefs contradictory to the state’s strict Wahhabi Islam are detained, imprisoned, and mistreated: this extends to journalists, the LGBTQ+ community, and the small community of non-Muslims and the Irreligious there. COVID-19 has exacerbated discrimination against the minority Shi’a community, subject to longer lockdowns and arbitrarily extensive imprisonment. Women in prison are also subject to sexual assault and torture, as are other inmates. In recent years, though, the Government has slowly loosened its restrictive policies through actions like abolishing flogging.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High	24	74	0	853,00	-288,00	3	3	Persecution
Senegal	SN				Low	Low		93	53	4	9.613,00	142,00	1	0	Unclassified
Serbia	RS				Moderate	Moderate		89	42	4	755,00	166,00			Unclassified
Seychelles	SC				Moderate	Low		89		4	755,00	129,00			Unclassified
Sierra Leone	SL				Moderate	Moderate		9		4		153,00	1	0	Unclassified
Singapore	SG				Very High	Low		78	16	3	6.522,00	89,00	3	2	Unclassified
Slovakia	SK				Moderate	Moderate		85		4	8.675,00	102,00	1	2	Unclassified
Slovenia	SI				Low	Low		95	27	4	9.238,00	168,00	1	1	Unclassified
Solomon Islands	SB				Low	Low					9.613,00	18,00	0	0	Unclassified
Somalia	SO				Moderate	High	Extreme	43		0	35,00	-251,00	2	2	Persecution
South Africa	ZA				Low	Moderate		86	47	4	9.625,00	228,00	0	1	Unclassified
South Korea	KR				Moderate	High		99	53	4	9.105,00	264,00	1	0	Unclassified
South Sudan	SS				Moderate	Low						17,00
Spain	ES				Moderate	High		92	28	4	9.338,00	127,00	1	2	Unclassified
Sri Lanka	LK				High	Very High		76		2	6.076,00	5,00	1	2	Persecution
Sudan	SD				Very High	Moderate	Very High	59		2	348,00	-8,00	3	3	Discrimination
Suriname	SR				Low	Low		96			9.613,00	224,00	1	1	Unclassified
Sweden	SE				Moderate	Moderate		99	4		9.338,00	267,00	2	2	Unclassified
Switzerland	CH				Moderate	Moderate		95	26		9.338,00	163,00	2	2	Unclassified
Syria	SY	Syria has a large majority of Sunni Muslims, at 74% of the population. Alawite, Shi’a, and Isma’ili Muslims comprise 13% of the population. 10% are Assyrians, Maronites, Armenians, and other Christians. Druze account for the final 3% of the population. However, it should be noted that these numbers are difficult to confirm due to the ongoing conflict. The Constitution declares no state religion. However, it does stipulate that the President must be Muslim and that Islamic jurisprudence is the highest law of the land. Membership in certain religious groups are banned and punishable depending on the religion. Those who practice Judaism must register it on their passports and identification cards. All reports agree that religious freedom in Syria is very low. Reports mainly agree that violence in Syria over the past decade is to blame. They also agree that Turkey’s intervention into Syria has been detrimental to religious freedom. Turkey has supported terrorist groups and shelled many civilians in Rojava, which works to secure religious freedom as a priority for its residents. The refugee crisis created by this violence has led to the displacement of Christians, Muslims, and other religious minorities in Syria as they flee to escape. The Syrian Government has restricted the operations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, prevented Muslims from converting to other religions, and monitored Muslims leaders and mosques.	Country of Particular Concern		Very High	Very High	Very High	33		2	3.045,00	-169,00	3	3	Discrimination
Taiwan	TW				Low	Low		99				26,00	1	0	Unclassified
Tajikistan	TJ	Tajikistan is predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Sunnis comprising 86% of the population. Shi’a Muslims compose 4%, with the remaining 10% being a mixture of Russian Orthodox, Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians. In 2009, the conditions of religious freedom sharply decreased after several religious restriction laws were passed. The Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Unions sets registration mandates, controls the amount of worshipers in a mosque, criminalizes private religious education, bans unregistered religious activity, and institutes state control over the content of sermons. The Tajik Constitution protects freedom of religion and sponsors no religion, but recognizes the “special status” of Muslims. The government often cites “increased tension among religious groups” and “prevention of extremism” as a justification for mass arrests and interrogations of religious leaders. Reports generally agree that Tajikistan has low religious freedom. However, the reports disagree on how low. The World Index for Moral Freedom ranks Tajikistan a 43.63 out of 100, with 100 being the most religiously free. Pew Social Hostilities Index designates Tajikistan as “Moderate.” This runs counter to Cato, Pew Government Restrictions Index, Open Doors, ACN, and other reports, which give Tajikistan a low religious freedom rating. The reports do, though, agree about the causes of Tajikistan’s low religious freedom. Increased tension among religious groups is why the Government restricts publication and distribution of religious texts. The Government has also cracked down on Muslims by conducting mass arrests and interrogations of religious leaders. Extremism and vague allusions to terrorism have been used as justification to prevent religious practices or restrict religious minorities. Christians in Tajikistan find it hard to gain training to become religious leaders, making their organization nearly impossible.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	High	Very High	3			4.363,00	-272,00	3	2	Discrimination
Tanzania	TZ				High	Moderate		8	12	3		79,00	2	1	Discrimination
Thailand	TH				High	High		85	13	3	4.978,00	153,00	3	2	Discrimination
Timor-Leste	TL				Low	Low		95		3		123,00			Unclassified
Togo	TG				Moderate	Low		81		3		132,00	2	2	Unclassified
Tonga	TO				Low	Low					745,00				Unclassified
Trinidad and Tobago	TT				Low	Low		98	24	4	9.613,00	241,00	2	1	Unclassified
Tunisia	TN				High	High	Very High	71	86	3	7.029,00	35,00	3	3	Discrimination
Turkey	TR	Turkey’s population is overwhelmingly Muslim with Muslims making up 99% of the population, Sunni Muslims make up the majority with Alevi Muslims making the largest religious minority. The remaining 0.2% are made up of atheists, Jews, Christians, and others. The Constitution defines the country as a secular state. However, the state acts in ways to promote Sunni Islam through educational policies and state funding for Sunni Muslim religious services. The reports generally agree that Turkey has low religious freedom. The reports acknowledge that Turkey is a secular state, but mainly in name only. The state supports public and private education that promotes Sunni Islam. Christians and Jews can apply for exemptions, but the process is difficult. The state also funds Sunni Muslim religious practices, such as the salaries of imams, constructing mosques, and oversee pilgrimages. For other religions, the training of clergymen has been regulated or prohibited. Non-Muslims and Alevis continue to be faced with discrimination and hate crimes. Property and civil rights for these groups are limited. Christians face discrimination and newly converts from Islam face the worse discrimination.	Special Watch List		Very High	High	Very High	42	71	2	3.132,00	-79,00	3	3	Discrimination
Turkmenistan	TM	The religious majority in Turkmenistan by far is Sunni Muslims (89%), with the second largest group being Orthodox Christians (9%). The 2016 Religion Law makes Turkmenistan a secular state in name only. Religious groups are now required to register with the Minister of Justice, bans exist on private religious worship and education, and prohibitions on the wearing of religious garments in public spaces have been implemented. The State Commission on Religious Organizations and Expert Evaluation of Religious Information Resources oversees the organization of religious groups and approves the appointment of religious leaders. All the reports agree that Turkmenistan suffers from low religious freedom. However, Pew Social Hostilities Index ranks social religious hostilities as “Low” in Turkmenistan, running counter to the reports which outline social backlash for Christians. Reports agree that this is mainly due to state control over religious activity. Religious groups must register with the government, and practice outside this registration is illegal. Muslims have been targeted by the Turkmen Government, with restrictions on religious holidays and large-scale shutdowns of mosques. Restrictions exist for the practice of religion in private homes or in the military, prisons, or private religious institutions. Punishments are enforced against Christians for not adhering to Islamic beliefs, which are promoted by the State.	Country of Particular Concern	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Low	Very High			0	5,00	-221,00	3	3	Persecution
Tuvalu	TV				Low	Low					8.488,00				Unclassified
Uganda	UG				Moderate	Moderate		66	16	3	7.605,00	29,00	2	2	Unclassified
Ukraine	UA				High	High		72	46	3	7.301,00	61,00	3	2	Unclassified
United Arab Emirates	AE				High	Low		64	80	1	853,00	67,00	3	3	Discrimination
United Kingdom	GB				Moderate	High		96	11	4	9.308,00	142,00	2	2	Unclassified
United States of America	US				Moderate	Moderate		94	10	4	9.712,00	197,00	1	1	Unclassified
Uruguay	UY				Low	Low		98	33	4	9.713,00	214,00	1	0	Unclassified
Uzbekistan	UZ	Uzbekistan is largely composed of Sunni Muslims, which make up 88-96% of the population. 2.2% of the population are Russian Orthodox Christian. The remaining 1.8% of the population is atheist, Buddhist, Jewish, and other religions. The Constitution declares Uzbekistan a secular state, but multiple laws have restricted religious freedom in the country. The 1998 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations has multiple regulations on religious institutions and activities. The reports generally agree that there is low religious freedom in Uzbekistan. However, the Pew Social Hostilities Index and the World index of Moral Freedom rank Uzbekistan as having more moderate religious freedom compared to other reports. The reports mainly attribute the low score to the 1998 Religion Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations. The law which forced religions to register with the Ministry of Justice and meet burdensome registration requirements. It also bans certain religious topics in public schools, private religious education, and forces people to get a license to publish and distribute religious literature. In 2021 Mirziyoyev signed amendments to the law which loosed some restrictions such as allowing religious garb to be worn in public, but still maintained the heavy restrictions human rights groups protest.	Special Watch List		Very High	Moderate	Very High			0	4.415,00	-21,00	3	3	Discrimination
Vanuatu	VU				Low	Low						189,00	1	0	Unclassified
Venezuela	VE				Moderate	Moderate		72	30	3	7.156,00	52,00	2	2	Discrimination
Vietnam	VN	Religion is a minority practice in Vietnam, with 20% of the population participating in a religion: 8% of the population is Buddhist while 7% are Christians. The remaining practice Hoa Hao Buddhism, Cao Dai, Evangelical Protestantism, and Islam. The Government has enforced the Law on Belief and Religion, which systematically discriminates against religious minorities of independent religious groups and government-recognized groups. It allows state interference in internal religious affairs, requires religions to register, and gives authorities power to prosecute unregistered religious activity. Reports all generally agree that there is low religious freedom in Vietnam. However, two reports standout from the rest: Pew’s Social Hostilities Index ranks Vietnam as having “Moderate” religious social tensions, and ADL finds that only 6% of the population harbor Anti-Semitic beliefs. The reports, barring the exceptions, generally agree that State interference in internal religious matters is a main reason for low religious freedom. Religious activity that goes against the national interest is banned by the State. The State also requires religions to register with the government, and religions operating outside face persecution. Recently, the Government has been arresting religious freedom advocates or believers and imprisoning them for lengthy sentences in poor prison conditions. COVID-19 has led to further Christian discrimination in distribution of resources in rural areas.	Country of Particular Concern		High	Moderate	Very High	47	6	1	3.766,00	-14,00	3	3	Discrimination
Yemen	YE				High	High	Extreme	29	88	1	1.238,00	-292,00	3	3	Persecution
Zambia	ZM				Moderate	Low		78		3		15,00	2	1	Unclassified
Zimbabwe	ZW				Moderate	Low		72		3	7.301,00	133,00	2	1	Unclassified
Country			USCIRF	State Department	Pew—Government Restrictions Index	Pew—Social Hostilities Index	Open Doors—Level of Christian Persecution	Cato—Human Freedom Index	ADL Global—100 Survey	Freedom House—Freedom of Expression and Belief	World Index for Moral Freedom	Varieties of Democracy Index	ARDA Religious Regulation Index	ARDA Religious Minority Discrimination Index	Aid to the Church in Need Report
								∑ = 12.008
								Avg = 72,78
								Min =
								Max = 99

Methodology

Organization	Scale	Methodology
USCIRF	Country of Particular Concern, Special Watch List	https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/2021%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Pew Government Restrictions Index	Low–High	https://www.pewforum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/11/PF_20.10.28_Restrictions11_appendixA.pdf
Pew Social Hostilities Index	Low–High	https://www.pewforum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/11/PF_20.10.28_Restrictions11_appendixB.pdf
Open Doors – Level of Christian Persecution	Very High, Extreme	https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WWL2021_Booklet-digital.pdf
Cato Human Freedom Index	0–10, least to most free	https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/2020-12/human-freedom-index-2020.pdf
ADL Global 100 Survey	0%–100% of adults expressing antisemitic attitudes to most survey questions	https://global100.adl.org
Freedom House – Feedom of Expression & Belief	0–4, least to most free	https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-world/scores
World Index of Moral Freedom	0–100, least to most free	https://fundalib.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WIMF-2020.pdf
Varieties of Democracy Index	0–4, low to high levels of religious freedom	https://www.v-dem.net/en/analysis/MapGraph/
Freedom of Thought Index	1–200, most to least free	https://fot.humanists.international/ranking-index-2020/
Aid to the Church in Need – Religious Freedom Report	Stable, Discrimination, Persecution	https://religious-freedom-report.org/fr/home-fr/
Religious Regulation Index	0–3, low to high levels of religious regulation	https://www.thearda.com/internationalData/
Religious Minority Discrimination	0–3, low to high levels of religious minority discrimination	https://www.thearda.com/internationalData/

Project Partner

21Wilberforce

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21Wilberforce originally launched the Project in 2020 in partnership with the Loeb Institute of George Washington University. The hosting of the Project was transferred to IIRF in 2023 and 21Wilberforce remains a collaborative partner on the Project.