Map Shows Countries With Most Limits on Religion

Governments around the world are imposing significant restrictions on religion, new research shows, a trend that could have implications for U.S. foreign policy, international religious freedom efforts and Americans traveling, working or worshipping abroad.

Some 58 countries had "high" or "very high" levels of government restrictions on religion in 2023, according to the Pew Research Center's new report published on Monday. This is just one less than the peak number, 59, recorded in 2022. Newsweek has mapped these out.

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Median scores for government restrictions on religion in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East-North Africa region climbed to some of their highest levels on record in 2023, Pew found.

The United States scored “low” on Pew’s Government Restrictions Index (GRI), meaning it had relatively few government laws, policies and actions that limit religious freedom or target religious groups.

China, Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria and Uzbekistan were among the countries with the highest GRI scores.

Religious freedom has become a key focus of President Donald Trump’s administration. Last May, Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission to study threats to religious freedom. Meanwhile, overseas, the administration has invoked religious liberty concerns in its response to violence against Christians, including airstrikes against ISIS-linked militants in Nigeria last December.

Where Are Government Restrictions on Religion Worst?

To calculate each country’s score, Pew examined 20 indicators of government interference in religion, ranging from harassment of religious groups and restrictions on religious dress to discrimination, violence and efforts to pressure people to abandon their faith.

In practice, this could look like barring a religious group from holding worship services, outlawing certain types of religious attire and favoring or punishing religious groups through public funding.

The Middle East and North Africa had the highest GRI scores of any region in the world, a distinction it has held every year since Pew began the study. Government harassment of religious groups was reported in all 20 countries in the region in 2023, while half imposed restrictions related to religious dress.

Out of the 198 countries that Pew looked at, the following scored "very high" (6.6 or higher) on its GRI:

China, Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia, Syria, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Malaysia, Russia, Maldives, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, Laos, Mauritania, Singapore, Belarus, Brunei, Iraq and Qatar.

The following scored "high" (between 4.5 and 6.5):

Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, India, Jordan, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Yemen, Libya, Ukraine, Western Sahara, Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, France, Moldova, Nepal, Somalia, Oman, Cambodia, Romania, Bhutan, Greece, Armenia, Comoros, Nigeria, Thailand, Cuba.

China’s high score reflects extensive state controls on religion, including restrictions on religious education, surveillance of worshippers and longstanding allegations of repression against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, according to Pew. Authorities have also tightened oversight of churches, mosques and other religious institutions.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, severely restricting religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. Converts from Islam and members of minority faiths have faced persecution, while women and girls have been subject to sweeping religiously justified restrictions on daily life, Pew found.

Iran has long been accused of discriminating against religious minorities, particularly members of the Baha’i faith, as well as Christians who convert from Islam. Authorities have arrested worshippers, restricted religious activities and imposed penalties for beliefs viewed as contrary to the state’s interpretation of Islam, according to Pew.

Government Restrictions in the West

While the United States received a “low” rating on Pew’s Government Restrictions Index, several Western countries scored considerably higher.

France was among the European countries rated as having “high” levels of government restrictions on religion, while Greece, Bulgaria and Romania also fell into the “high” category. Pew attributed Europe’s rising scores in part to an increase in countries where governments were accused of failing to protect religious groups from discrimination or provide adequate redress.

The continent’s median GRI score rose from 2.9 in 2022 to 3.2 in 2023-the highest level recorded since Pew began tracking government restrictions on religion in 2007.

Meanwhile, the United States has generally maintained low levels of government interference in religion since Pew began tracking the issue in 2007.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 2:11 PM.