Government Restrictions on Religion: A Global Overview

Government restrictions on religion continue to be a prevalent issue around the world, with 41 countries banning at least one religion-related group in 2019. Among the most frequently targeted groups were Jehovah’s Witnesses and Baha’is, according to a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center.

The Middle East-North Africa region had the highest share of countries with bans on religion-related groups, followed by Asia and the Pacific. The study, part of an annual series that measures global restrictions on religion, analyzes government bans on religious groups, spiritual practices, and political organizations with ties to religion.

The analysis is based on factual information from various sources, including reports from the U.S. Department of State and independent organizations. The study does not include bans on groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations or those engaging in systematic violence.

In some countries, only registered religious groups are officially recognized, leading to the illegal status of other faiths. For example, Eritrea only recognizes four religious groups, while Uzbekistan criminalizes activities by unregistered religious groups and designates certain Islamic groups as extremist.

In China, groups considered to be “cult organizations” face severe restrictions, including detentions and disappearances. In some countries, practices of folk or indigenous religions are outlawed, and repercussions for membership in banned groups can include detention and property seizure.

Governments may cite security concerns as a rationale for banning political or social groups with religious affiliations. In Morocco, the Justice and Charity Organization, a social movement with Islamic roots, is banned, while in Bahrain, the Al-Wefaq political opposition party was banned in 2016.

The Pew Research Center’s annual study on restrictions on religion also examines other types of government limits on religious activity, categorizing countries based on the extent of these restrictions. Among the 41 nations that banned religion-related groups in 2019, 21 also had “very high” government restrictions on religion, highlighting the severity of the issue on a global scale.