Spectrum-Country Tables – 21Wilberforce Freedom Center

Religious Freedom Spectrum of Perspectives−Country Summaries

Country	ISO Code	Summary	USCIRF	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 of 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 is home to a diverse array of ethnic groups, including Pashtuns (42 percent), Tajiks (27 percent), Hazaras (9 percent), Uzbeks (9 percent), Turkmen (3 percent), and Baloch (2 percent). Historically, the nation also was religiously diverse, but the vast majority of non-Muslims fled after the Taliban consolidated control of the government in 1996. The Hindu and Sikh population, for example, dropped from 220,000 in the early 1990s to a little over 200 today. The country’s current population is approximately 99.7 percent Muslim (84.7–89.7 percent Sunni and 10–15 percent Shi’a, including Ismailis), with the few remaining non-Muslims (Hindus, Sikhs, Baha’is, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and others, including one known Jew) comprising the remaining 0.3 percent.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	High	High	Extreme			1	12.38	1.87	3	3	Persecution
Albania	AL			Moderate	Low		8.9		4	96.13	3.71	1	1	Stable
Algeria	DZ	“Algeria is geographically the largest country in Africa and home to more than 43 million people. Algeria’s state religion is Islam, and an estimated 99 percent of the population identify as Sunni Muslim, with the remaining 1 percent of the population comprising of Jews, Christians, and Ahmadiyya and Shi’a Muslims. The Christian community of Algeria includes Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Evangelicals, Lutherans, the Reformed Church, and Egyptian Coptic Christians.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	High	Very High	3.7	87	1	22.75		3	3	Discrimination
Andorra	AD			Moderate	Low				3	98.13		0	1	Stable
Angola	AO			Moderate	Low		6.5		2	98.70	2.72	1	2	Stable
Antigua and Barbuda	AG			Low	Low				4					Stable
Argentina	AR			Low	Low		8.3	30	4	95.67	3.90	0	2	Stable
Armenia	AM			Moderate	Moderate		6.8	58	2	92.79	3.22	1	3	Stable
Australia	AU			Low	Moderate		8.9	14	4	98.41	3.88	1	1	Stable
Austria	AT			Moderate	Moderate		7.2	20	3	98.00	3.22	1	2	Stable
Azerbaijan	AZ	“Approximately 96 percent of Azerbaijan’s estimated population of 10.2 million people are Muslim; the Azerbaijani government estimates that around 65 percent identify as Shi’a Muslim, while the other 35 percent identify as Sunni Muslim. The remaining 4 percent of the population consists of atheists, Armenian Apostolics, Baha’is, Catholics, Georgian Orthodox, members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Molokans, Protestants, and Russian Orthodox” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	Low		5.3	37	0	53.10	2.26	3	3	Discrimination
Bahamas	BS			Moderate	Low		7.9		4	98.00		1	1	Stable
Bahrain	BH			High	Moderate		3.3	81	1	15.00		3	3	Stable
Bangladesh	BD			High	High	Very High	5.7	32	2	21.81	3.19	3	2	Persecution
Barbados	BB			Low	Low		8.6		4			1	0	Stable
Belarus	BY			High	Low		6.0	38	1	73.15	2.35	3	3	Stable
Belgium	BE			Moderate	High		7.8	24	3	98.00	3.74	1	2	Stable
Belize	BZ			Low	Low		9.1		4			1	1	Stable
Benin	BJ			Low	Moderate		9.0		4		3.91	1	0	Stable
Bhutan	BT			High	Low	Very High	5.7		2		2.11	2	3	Discrimination
Bolivia	BO			Low	Moderate		8.6	30	4	96.13	3.65	2	2	Stable
Bosnia and Herzegovina	BA			Moderate	Moderate		7.9	32	3	92.38	3.36	1	3	Stable
Botswana	BW			Low	Low		8.7	33	4	98.00	3.53	1	1	Stable
Brazil	BR			Moderate	High		8.7	16	4	95.67	2.88	1	1	Stable
Brunei Darussalam	BN			Very High	Low	Very High			1	21.75		3	3	Discrimination
Bulgaria	BG			High	High		7.4	44	3	96.13	3.49	3	3	Stable
Burkina Faso	BF			Moderate	High	Very High	7.8		3		3.42	1	0	Stable
Burundi	BI			Moderate	Moderate		7.0		3			2	0	Stable
Cabo Verde	CV			Low	Low		8.7		4			1	1	Stable
Cambodia	KH			Moderate	Moderate	Very High	6.1		3	72.72	2.78	2	1	Stable
Cameroon	CM			Moderate	High		7.3	35	2	96.13	3.61	0	0	Stable
Canada	CA			Low	Moderate		8.3	8	3	99.57	3.82	1	0	Stable
Central African Republic	CF			Moderate	Very High	Very High	7.0		0	20.88	3.39	1	1	Stable
Chad	TD			Moderate	Moderate		7.0		1			3	2	Stable
Chile	CL			Low	Low		9.0	37	4	94.25	3.85	1	2	Stable
China	CN	“Approximately 18 percent of China’s estimated 1.4 billion people are Buddhist, including Tibetan Buddhists; 5 percent are Christian; and 2 percent are Muslim. Other significant religious traditions include the Falun Gong, Daoism, and indigenous practices. Although the CCP has long repressed religious freedom, in recent years it has become increasingly hostile toward religion, resulting in campaigns to “sinicize” Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, and Christianity to rid the religions of alleged “foreign” influences. These policies require religious groups to support CCP rule and its overall objectives and interests, including by altering their teachings to conform to CCP ideology and adopting architectural and other changes to their sites and symbols. Both registered and unregistered religious groups and individuals who run afoul of the CCP face harassment, detention, arrest, and imprisonment.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High	3.3	20	0	38.08	0.24	3	3	Persecution
Colombia	CO			Low	Moderate	Very High	7.7	41	4	95.96	3.48	1	1	Stable
Comoros	KM			High	Low	Very High			2	31.13		2	3	Stable
Congo (Republic of)	CG			Low	Low		7.4		3		3.56	1	0	Stable
Costa Rica	CR			Moderate	Low		7.5	32	4	89.50	3.86	2	2	Stable
Cote d’Ivoire	CI			Low	Low		8.4	22	3		3.67	2	0
Croatia	HR			Moderate	Low		8.2	33	3	92.38	3.59	1	2	Stable
Cuba	CU	“While there are no independent sources on Cuba’s religious demographics, a reported 60–70 percent of Cuba’s estimated population of 11.1 million self-identify as Catholic. Approximately 25–30 percent identify as unaffiliated or another religion, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Quakers, Moravians, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An estimated 70% of Cubans engage in one or more practices associated with Santería, a syncretic religion borne out of the Yoruba tradition mixed with elements of Catholicism, or another Afro-Cuban religion. Cuba is a one-party system under the ruling Cuban Communist Party, with no independent judiciary and where the state tightly controls religious institutions. A new constitution adopted in April 2019 protects the freedom of religion or belief and prohibits religious discrimination. A timetable was set to review and amend corresponding legislation to codify the constitutional changes, including the Law of Associations. However, this process has been delayed, resulting in some constitutional rights existing only on paper.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	High	Low				3	49.78	2.58	3	3	Stable
Cyprus	CY			Moderate	Moderate		7.3		4	94.25	3.61	2	2	Stable
Czech Republic	CZ			Moderate	Moderate		7.8	13	3	99.00	3.63	2	2	Stable
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)	CD			Moderate	Moderate	Very High	6.5		3		3.23	1	1	Stable
Denmark	DK			High	High		7.0	10	4	97.13	3.59	3	2	Stable
Djibouti	DJ			Moderate	Low				2	26.50	2.55	3	0	Stable
Dominica	DM			Low	Low				4	96.13				Stable
Dominican Republic	DO			Low	Low		8.1	41	4	95.13	3.77	0	2	Stable
Ecuador	EC			Low	Low		9.0		4	95.09	3.81	1	1	Stable
Egypt	EG	“Egypt’s constitution identifies Islam as the state religion and the principles of Shari’a as the primary source of legislation. While Article 64 states that “freedom of belief is absolute,” only Muslims, Christians, and Jews can practice their religion publicly and build places of worship. Of the country’s estimated 104 million people, around 90 percent are Sunni Muslims, and non-Sunni Muslims, such as Shi’a Muslims, comprise less than 1 percent. An estimated 10 percent are Christians, the majority of whom belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church; other Christians belong to various denominations that include Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical Protestant, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, Greek and Syrian Orthodox, and others. There are at least 2,000 Baha’is, approximately 1,500 Jehovah’s Witnesses, and fewer than 20 Jews.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	High	Very High	3.2	75	1	21.94	2.26	3	3	Discrimination
El Salvador	SV			Low	Moderate		8.4		3	93.25		2	1	Stable
Equatorial Guinea	GQ			Moderate	Low				1	89.50	2.98	3	1	Stable
Eritrea	ER	“Eritrea is a single-party state led by the Popular Front for Democracy and Justice party (PFDJ) under the leadership of President Isaias Afwerki since its independence in 1993. The constitution of Eritrea states that the government must protect freedom of thought, conscience, and belief, as well as the right of individuals to practice the religion of their choice, but this right is not protected in practice. Eritrea’s population is split in half between Christians (49 percent) and Muslims (49 percent). The Christian population mainly resides in the southern and central regions of the country, whereas the Muslim population lives predominantly in the northern region” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Low	Extreme			0	20.13	0.70	3	3	Persecution
Estonia	EE			Low	Low		8.8	22	4	97.41	3.60	2	1	Stable
Eswatini	SZ			Low	Low		6.4		2	85.75	2.88	1	1	Stable
Ethiopia	ET			Moderate	High	Very High	6.0		1	78.48	3.37	3	2	Stable
Fiji	FJ			Low	Low		7.7		4		3.40	1	1	Stable
Finland	FI			Moderate	Moderate		7.9	15	4	96.13	3.90	1	1	Stable
France	FR			High	Moderate		7.4	17	3	96.83	3.52	2	2	Stable
Gabon	GA			Low	Low		9.0		3		3.21	1	1	Stable
Gambia	GM			Low	Moderate		8.1			87.30		2	1	Stable
Georgia	GE			Moderate	Moderate		7.1	32	2	94.95	3.29	2	3	Stable
Germany	DE			Moderate	High		7.4	15	3	96.83	3.82	2	3	Stable
Ghana	GH			Low	Moderate		8.6	15	3	95.13	3.89	2	1	Stable
Greece	GR			Moderate	Moderate		6.5	67	3	94.25	2.98	2	3	Stable
Grenada	GD			Low	Low				4					Stable
Guatemala	GT			Low	Low		7.8	36	4	89.50	3.63	2	1	Stable
Guinea	GN			Moderate	Moderate		7.6		3	95.13	3.48	1	1	Stable
Guinea-Bissau	GW			Low	Low		9.1		3	95.13	3.88	2	0	Stable
Guyana	GY			Moderate	Low		8.6		4	92.38	3.83	1	1	Stable
Haiti	HT			Moderate	Moderate		7.3	26	3	96.13		2	1	Stable
Vatican City	VA			Moderate	Moderate
Honduras	HN			Low	Moderate		8.2		4	89.50	3.72	2	2	Stable
Hong Kong	HK			Low	Low		8.3		4
Hungary	HU			Moderate	High		7.3	42	3	93.21	3.59	1	2
Iceland	IS			Moderate	Low		8.0	16	4	97.99		1	1	Stable
India	IN	“India is the world’s largest democracy, with a rich tradition of secular pluralism. Its estimated population exceeds 1.3 billion: 79.8 percent Hindu, 14.2 percent Muslim, 2.3 percent Christian, and 1.7 percent Sikh. Smaller religious groups include Buddhists, Jains, Baha’is, Jews, Zoroastrians (Parsis), and nonreligious persons. India’s constitution establishes the nation as secular, and Article 25 grants all individuals freedom of conscience, including the right to practice, profess, and propagate religion. Yet, in recent years, the BJP-led government has challenged the secular principles of the constitution by implementing laws and policies at the national and state levels promoting Hindu nationalism, thereby posing severe challenges to freedom of religion or belief and related rights. Throughout 2020, the national and state governments’ perpetration and toleration of these systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations led to increasing repression of religious freedom and a growing climate of hostility and violence toward religious minorities, human rights advocates, and others speaking out against such violations.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	High	Very High	Extreme	5.0	20	2	63.21	2.36	3	3	Persecution
Indonesia	ID	“Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. Muslims comprise 87.2 percent of Indonesia’s 267 million citizens, while Protestant Christians comprise 7 percent, Roman Catholics 2.9 percent, and Hindus 1.7 percent; 0.9 percent identify as another minority religion such as Buddhism or Confucianism. In 2020, the World Bank upgraded Indonesia’s economic ranking from lower- to upper-middle income country. In light of this diversity, Indonesia has a long tradition of religious pluralism. Article 29 of its constitution “guarantees the independence of each resident to embrace religion and worship according to their respective religions and beliefs.’” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	High	Very High	5.2	48	1	20.51		3	3	Persecution
Iran	IR	“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a theocratic, authoritarian state with restricted political participation. Ninety to 95 percent of the population are Shi’a Muslim, while Sunni Muslims account for 5–10 percent. Approximately 0.3 percent ascribe to other religions, including the Baha’i faith, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Judaism. While the Jaafari (Twelver) school of Shi’a Islam is the official religion, the constitution extends full respect to the five major Sunni schools. It also recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as protected minorities. Five of the parliament’s 290 seats are reserved for religious minorities—two for Armenian Christians and one each for Assyrian/Chaldean Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. There are two Hindu temples, and Buddhism has historic influences. Iran is home to several other religious groups that face persecution, including Mandeans, Yarsanis, nonbelievers, and followers of spiritual movements. In December 2016, President Hassan Rouhani publicly released a nonbinding Charter on Citizens’ Rights, but religious minorities have seen little change based on this document.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Extreme	3.5	60	0	7.08	1.10	3	3	Discrimination
Iraq	IQ	“The Iraqi population is predominantly Muslim: 64–69 percent are Shi’a Muslim and 29–34 percent are Sunni Muslim. The Shi’a Muslim population resides predominantly in the south and eastern regions of the country, whereas the Sunnis live in the west, center, and north of the country. There are also about 200,000 Christians from various denominations, including Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, mainly located in the Nineveh Plains in the north. However, that population has drastically declined since 2003, when Iraqi Christians were estimated to number 1.5 million. Iraq is also home to almost 700,000 Yazidis, who remained largely internally displaced, as well as about 150,000 Kaka’is, also known as the Yarsan or Ahl al-Haq; these two communities are mainly spread across the north. Finally, a tiny Jewish community continues to reside in Baghdad and Erbil” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	Very High	Extreme	4.2	92	1	19.00	2.36	1	3	Persecution
Ireland	IE			Low	Moderate		8.3	20	4	96.13	3.85	1	1	Stable
Israel	IL			High	Very High		6.0		3	92.38	3.84	3	2	Stable
Italy	IT			Moderate	Moderate		7.8	18	4	96.83	3.85	0	2	Stable
Jamaica	JM			Low	Low		9.0	18	4	96.13	3.87	1	1	Stable
Japan	JP			Low	Low		9.0	23	4	96.25	3.86	0	1	Stable
Jordan	JO			High	High	Very High	4.8	81	2	29.60	2.12	3	3	Stable
Kazakhstan	KZ	“Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and home to the region’s second-largest population, with around 19 million citizens. The population is around 70 percent Sunni Muslim, 26 percent Christian (including Orthodox, Protestants, Catholics, and Jehovah’s Witnesses), 3 percent other (including Jews, Buddhists, Baha’is, and Hare Krishnas), and less than 1 percent Shi’a Muslims, mostly ethnic Azeris. A total of 3,826 officially registered religious associations represent 18 religious groups in Kazakhstan and 3,597 registered places of worship. Approximately two-thirds of the population are ethnic Kazakhs—a Turkic people group—while the rest are ethnic Slavs and other Turkic peoples, including Uzbeks and Uyghurs. Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country with a large ethnic Russian population, mostly in the north. The government is avowedly secular and seeks to control religion, which it views as a potentially destabilizing force.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	Low	Very High	5.2	32	1	48.19	1.98	3	3	Discrimination
Kenya	KE			Moderate	High	Very High	6.8	35	2	96.25	3.81	2	2	Stable
Kiribati	KI			Low	Low				4					Stable
Kosovo	XK			Moderate	Moderate				2		3.82			Stable
Kuwait	KW			High	Moderate	Very High	5.2	82	2	21.88	2.52	3	3	Stable
Kyrgyzstan	KG			High	Moderate		5.8		2	52.25	3.26	3	3	Discrimination
Laos	LA			High	Moderate	Very High	4.7	0	1	67.00	2.18	3	3	Discrimination
Latvia	LV			Moderate	Low		8.5	28	4	97.13	3.86	2	2	Stable
Lebanon	LB			Moderate	High		7.1	78	3	91.05	3.47	1	2	Stable
Lesotho	LS			Low	Low		8.7		4		3.87	1	0	Stable
Liberia	LR			Low	Moderate		8.6		3	96.13	3.35	2	1	Stable
Libya	LY			High	Very High	Extreme	4.7	87	1	18.21	1.00	2	3	Persecution
Liechtenstein	LI			Low	Moderate				4			1	1	Stable
Lithuania	LT			Moderate	Low		8.2	36	4	97.13	3.74	2	2	Stable
Luxembourg	LU			Moderate	Low		8.6		4	97.13	3.63	2	1	Stable
Madagascar	MG			Moderate	Moderate		8.3		3	86.75	3.33	2	2	Stable
Malawi	MW			Low	Moderate		8.5		4	95.38	3.67	1	2	Stable
Malaysia	MY	“Malaysia is a highly pluralistic society. Around 61.3 percent of the population identify as Muslim, the vast majority adhering to state-sponsored Sunni Islam. Buddhists comprise 19.8 percent; 9.2 percent are Christian; 6.3 percent are Hindu; 1.3 percent practice Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions; and about 0.8 percent identify with no religion. Although Malaysia was founded as a secular state, Article 3 of the 1957 constitution places Islam—interpreted as Sunni Islam—as the federation’s official religion, while Article 160 links Malay ethnic identity with Islam. This constitutional construct has long been used to advance social policies—many of which amount to legally mandated religious discrimination—that give ethnic Malays preferential treatment, including in education and employment, to offset historical economic disparities.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	High	Very High	4.8	61	1	77.34	2.31	3	3	Stable
Maldives	MV			Very High	Moderate	Very High			0	35.13		3	3	Discrimination
Mali	ML			Low	High	Very High	8.0		2	78.25		1	1	Stable
Malta	MT			Low	Low		7.5		4	95.13		1	1	Stable
Marshall Islands	MH			Low	Low				4					Stable
Mauritania	MR			Very High	Moderate	Very High	4.3		2	12.38		3	3	Discrimination
Mauritius	MU			Low	Low		8.2	44	4	96.13		1	1	Stable
Mexico	MX			Moderate	High	Very High	8.1	24	4	95.38	3.52	3	2	Stable
Micronesia	FM			Low	Low				4					Stable
Moldova	MD			High	High		6.8	30	3	95.13	3.62	3	2	Stable
Monaco	MC			Moderate	Low				4	60.50				Stable
Mongolia	MN			Moderate	Low		8.5	26	4	96.13	3.45	1	2	Stable
Montenegro	ME			Moderate	Low		8.5	29	3	96.13	3.10			Stable
Morocco	MA			High	Moderate	Very High	4.4	80	2	38.84	1.87	3	3	Stable
Mozambique	MZ			Moderate	Moderate	Very High	8.8		3	86.75	3.41	2	1	Stable
Myanmar	MM	“Burma has a Buddhist majority (87.9 percent) with Christian (6.2 percent), Muslim (4.3 percent), Animist (0.8 percent), and Hindu (0.5 percent) populations. The 2008 constitution recognizes all these religions, with Buddhism as the de facto state religion. Religious and ethnic minorities not belonging to the majority Bamar ethnicity and Buddhist faith have faced longstanding persecution. Burma’s race and religion laws regulate religious conversion, marriage, and births and restrict the religious freedom of non-Buddhists, particularly Muslims. In November 2020, Burma held its second democratic general election, where Suu Kyi’s NLD secured another majority win. The NLD government faced criticism for its inaction on the atrocities perpetrated against religious and ethnic minorities, most notably military operations in Rakhine; indeed, Suu Kyi defended the military in the ICJ. In February 2021, the Tatmadaw seized power from and detained Leader Suu Kyi and other NLD officials in a military coup.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	High	Very High	4.9		1	12.14	2.76	3	3	Persecution
Namibia	NA			Low	Low		9.1		4		3.90	0	0	Stable
Nauru	NR			Low	Low				4					Stable
Nepal	NP			High	Moderate	Very High	6.6		2	81.13	3.25	2	2	Stable
Netherlands	NL			Moderate	High		8.6	10	4	97.13	3.02	1	1	Stable
New Zealand	NZ			Low	Moderate		9.4	14	4	97.13		1	1	Stable
Nicaragua	NI	“President Ortega is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Nicaragua. He and his party, the FSLN, exercise authoritarian control over all three branches of government and the electoral process. Roman Catholics account for about 50 percent of the population, followed by Evangelical Christians at 33.2 percent, followers of unspecified religions at 13.2 percent, “other” religions (including Jews and Muslims) at 2.9 percent, and 0.7 percent adhering to no religion.Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Moderate	Moderate		5.6	34	2	85.75	2.99	2	1	Stable
Niger	NE			Moderate	High		7.5		2		3.25	3	0	Persecution
Nigeria	NG	“Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated 219 million people. Among these, an estimated 53.5 percent identify as Muslim; 45.9 percent identify as Christian; and 0.6 percent identify with other religious beliefs, including atheism, the Baha’i faith, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and African traditional religions. The 1999 Constitution protects freedom of religion or belief and prohibits the state from establishing a state religion and from discriminating on the basis of religion. The Nigerian Criminal Code includes a penalty of up to two years imprisonment for insulting a person’s religion.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	High	Very High	Extreme	6.3	16	1	48.79	3.37	2	3	Persecution
North Korea	KP	“Information about religious demographics and religious freedom conditions in North Korea is difficult to confirm and often outdated. North Koreans traditionally followed Buddhism and an indigenous syncretic religious movement known as Chondoism (Religion of the Heavenly Way). The country had a sizeable Christian community before the Korean War (1950–1953), with Pyongyang known as the “Jerusalem of the East,” but successive crackdowns have shrunk the Christian population to an estimated 2 percent of the total population. Many North Koreans learn about the religion when they flee to South Korea via China. Although technically illegal, shamanism and traditional folk religion practices, such as fortunetelling, are widespread.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern			Extreme			0		0.18	3	3	Persecution
North Macedonia	MK			Moderate	Moderate		6.8		3	96.13	3.37	3	3	Stable
Norway	NO			Moderate	Moderate		8.3	15	4	97.13	3.94	1	2	Stable
Oman	OM			High	Low	Very High	5.3	76	2	24.38	2.54	3	3	Stable
Pakistan	PK	“Pakistan’s population is 96.28 percent Muslim (85–90 percent Sunni, 10–15 percent Shi’a, and 0.22 percent Ahmadi), with smaller populations of Hindus (1.6 percent); Christians (1.59 percent); and Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians (<1 percent). Pakistan was established as an Islamic Republic in 1956 with special status for Islam (for example, only Muslims can serve as president and prime minister). Its constitution nominally protects religious freedom by prohibiting faith-based discrimination and guaranteeing the right to religious practices and religious education. The constitution also reserves for religious minorities 10 seats in the National Assembly, four seats in the Senate, and 23 seats in four provincial assemblies. However, the second amendment, added in 1974, declares Ahmadis non-Muslims, excluding them from representation." Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	High	Very High	Extreme	3.5		1	15.31	1.30	3	3	Persecution
Palau	PW			Low	Low				4					Stable
Panama	PA			Low	Low		8.1	52	4	94.25	3.84	2	1	Stable
Papua New Guinea	PG			Low	Moderate		8.3		4	96.13	3.70	2	1	Stable
Paraguay	PY			Low	Moderate		8.5	35	4	94.25	3.87	2	2	Stable
Peru	PE			Low	Low		7.9	38	4	94.25	3.87	2	2	Stable
Philippines	PH			Low	High		6.8	3	4	79.08	3.15	2	0	Stable
Poland	PL			Moderate	Moderate		7.7	48	4	94.25	3.52	2	1	Stable
Portugal	PT			Low	Low		9.4	21	4	97.13	3.76	2	1	Stable
Qatar	QA			High	Low	Very High	4.3	80	2	31.88	1.16	3	3	Discrimination
Romania	RO			High	Moderate		7.8	47	3	95.25	3.55	2	3	Stable
Russia	RU	“The Russian government views independent religious activity as a threat to social and political stability and to its own control, yet it simultaneously cultivates relationships with what it deems “traditional” religions. The population is religiously diverse: around 68 percent identify as Russian Orthodox Christian; 7 percent identify as Muslim; and 25 percent comprise an array of communities, including Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, Baha’is, and indigenous religions. The government enforces laws that restrict religious freedom, including a 1996 religion law; a 2002 law on combating extremism; and more recent laws on blasphemy, “stirring up religious hatred,” and “missionary activity.” These vague laws give authorities broad powers to define and prosecute any religious speech or activity or to ban any religious literature they deem harmful. The anti-extremism law, for example, lacks a clear definition of extremism and includes no prerequisite for the use or advocacy of violence. The law is a powerful way to intimidate religious communities as it allows for the prosecution of virtually any speech; suspects can be financially blacklisted or liquidated, and they can face criminal prosecutions.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	High		4.2	31	1	46.32	2.32	3	3	Discrimination
Rwanda	RW			Moderate	Moderate		6.4		2	59.73	2.43	3	2	Stable
Saint Kitts and Nevis	KN			Low	Low									Stable
Saint Lucia	LC			Low	Low					96.13				Stable
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	VC			Low	Low					96.13				Stable
Samoa	WS			Low	Moderate				3					Stable
San Marino	SM			Low	Low				4	96.13				Stable
São Tomé and Príncipe	ST			Low	Low				4					Stable
Saudi Arabia	SA	“Saudi Arabia is home to over 34 million Saudis, 85–90 percent of whom are Sunni Muslims and 10–15 percent of whom are Shi’a Muslims. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 37 percent of the population are expatriates, including at least two million Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, practitioners of folk religions, and the unaffiliated. Non-Muslim or atheist citizens often hide their identity to avoid harsh social and official consequences. The ruling monarch, King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud, holds the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has systematically cracked down on both religious and political dissent despite overseeing economic reforms associated with Saudi Vision 2030.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High	2.8	74	0	8.53	0.32	3	3	Persecution
Senegal	SN			Low	Low		7.8	53	4	96.13	3.58	1	0	Stable
Serbia	RS			Moderate	Moderate		8.3	42	4	90.50	3.68			Stable
Seychelles	SC			Moderate	Low		7.4		4	94.25				Stable
Sierra Leone	SL			Moderate	Moderate		8.7		4		3.56	1	0	Stable
Singapore	SG			Very High	Moderate		6.2	16	3	74.60		3	2	Stable
Slovakia	SK			Moderate	Moderate		7.5		4	96.13	3.35	1	2	Stable
Slovenia	SI			Low	Low		8.9	27	4	96.13	3.42	1	1	Stable
Solomon Islands	SB			Low	Low				4	96.13		0	0	Stable
Somalia	SO			Moderate	High	Extreme			0	16.25	0.52	2	2	Persecution
South Africa	ZA			Low	Moderate		8.5	47	4	96.25	3.88	0	1	Stable
South Korea	KR			Moderate	High			53	4		3.94	1	0	Stable
South Sudan	SS			Moderate	Low				1		2.95			Stable
Spain	ES			Moderate	Moderate		7.8	28	4	97.13	3.74	1	2	Stable
Sri Lanka	LK			High	Very High		7.4		2	51.38	2.99	1	2	Stable
Sudan	SD			High	Moderate	Very High	4.1		2	3.48	1.86	3	3	Persecution
Suriname	SR			Low	Low		8.9		4	96.13	3.84	1	1	Stable
Sweden	SE			Moderate	Moderate		8.7	4	4	97.13		2	2	Stable
Switzerland	CH			Moderate	High		7.8	26	3	97.13	3.67	2	2	Stable
Syria	SY	“Estimates place Syria’s population at just over 20 million, but the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees recorded 6.6 million Syrians as refugees and another 6.7 million as internally displaced persons (IDPs) by the end of 2020. That population is religiously diverse: Sunni Muslims account for 74 percent; Alawite, Shi’a, and Isma’ili Muslims comprise 13 percent; Assyrians, Maronites, Armenians, and other Christians comprise 10 percent; Druze account for 3 percent; and a small number of Syrian Jews remain in Damascus and Aleppo. However, it is difficult to confirm these figures amid the country’s 10-year conflict, given the staggering number of displaced persons. A disproportionately high number of religious minority communities have fled during the decade of violence; some estimates suggest that as many as 677,000 Christians have left the country, diminishing from around 10 percent to 3.6 percent of the population.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Very High	Extreme	3.4		2	30.45	1.40	3	3	Persecution
Taiwan	TW			Low	Low		9.2		4		3.94	1	0	Stable
Tajikistan	TJ	“Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia and ruled since 1992 by President Rahmon, who has concentrated power in his family’s hands. President Rahmon was elected to another seven-year term in October 2020, allegedly winning almost 91 percent of the vote in elections widely perceived as fraudulent. The government is weak and highly corrupt, and it faces financial catastrophe in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Tajikistan typically derives around 40 percent of its gross domestic product from labor remittances, primarily from Russia, but this dramatically declined as many laborers were forced to return home amid the pandemic. The population is predominantly Sunni Muslim—around 86 percent—while Shi’a Muslims, mostly located in the mountainous east, account for roughly 4 percent. The remaining 10 percent includes Russian Orthodox, Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High	3.8		0	53.00	1.88	3	2	Discrimination
Tanzania	TZ			High	Moderate		6.5	12	3		2.91	2	1	Stable
Thailand	TH			High	High		5.6	13	3	50.07	3.44	3	2	Stable
Timor-Leste	TL			Low	Low		8.3		3		3.46
Togo	TG			Low	Low		7.6		3		3.73	2	2	Stable
Tonga	TO			Low	Low				4	68.88				Stable
Trinidad and Tobago	TT			Low	Low		8.9	24	4	96.13		2	1	Stable
Tunisia	TN			High	High	Very High	6.0	86	3	79.66	2.85	3	3	Stable
Turkey	TR	“The U.S. government estimates that Turkey’s population is approximately 82.5 million, of which 99.8 percent is Muslim; an estimated 77.5 percent majority adheres to Sunni Islam. Between 10 million and 25 million people identify as Alevi, a community that the government largely refuses to differentiate from majority Sunni Muslims. The remaining 0.2 percent comprises atheists, Armenian Apostolics, Baha’is, Bulgarian Orthodox, Chaldean Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Yazidis, and other religious communities.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	High	Very High	4.2	71	2	31.32	1.96	3	3	Discrimination
Turkmenistan	TM	“Turkmenistan is a highly authoritarian country under the rule of President Berdymukhamedov since 2007, enforcing a cult of personality that proliferates his image in golden monuments and fawning official coverage. The 2016 Constitution removed the presidential age limit and Berdymukhamedov was “reelected” in 2017 with 97 percent of the vote. Sources report that the government is extremely concerned about the possibility of mass unrest amid a crippling economic decline, and it is rapidly implementing an “anti-terrorist plan” that includes the installation of facial recognition cameras and “smart city” technology in public places, including small businesses. The government typically charges its critics with terrorism, targeting their families and friends if it cannot extradite them from abroad.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	Very High	Moderate	Very High			0	5.00	0.74	3	3	Persecution
Tuvalu	TV			Low	Moderate				4	84.88				Stable
Uganda	UG			Moderate	Moderate		6.9	16	3	76.05	3.25	2	2	Stable
Ukraine	UA			High	High		6.2	46	3	63.64	3.02	3	2	Discrimination
United Arab Emirates	AE			High	Low		5.6	80	1	17.90	3.11	3	3	Stable
United Kingdom	GB			Moderate	High		7.4	11	4	96.83	3.80	2	2	Stable
United States of America	US			Moderate	Moderate		8.0	10	4	97.12	3.74	1	1	Stable
Uruguay	UY			Low	Low		8.7	33	4	97.13		1	0	Stable
Uzbekistan	UZ	“The U.S. government estimates that roughly 88 percent of Uzbekistan’s population identifies as Muslim, while Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that between 93 and 94 percent of the population is Muslim. The majority of Muslims in Uzbekistan are Sunni, while approximately 1 percent are Shi’a. Around 3.5 percent of the population is Russian Orthodox, and the remaining 3 percent comprises atheists, Baha’is, Buddhists, Catholics, members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, and Protestants.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Special Watch List	Very High	Moderate	Very High			0	44.15	2.54	3	3	Persecution
Vanuatu	VU			Low	Low				4			1	0	Stable
Venezuela	VE			Moderate	Low		6.7	30	3	80.94	2.99	2	2	Stable
Vietnam	VN	“Vietnam’s constitution permits citizens to “folany religion or folnone” and mandates respect and protection for religious freedom. However, it also authorizes authorities to override human rights, including religious freedom, for reasons of “national security, social order and security, social morality, and community well-being.” The country’s Law on Belief and Religion, which went into effect in January 2018, requires religious communities to formally register their organizations, activities, and places of worship. It allows only religious organizations that have operated for at least five years to apply for registration, and it grants registered organizations status as legal entities.” Read more on USCIRF’s 2021 Report…	Country of Particular Concern	High	Moderate	Very High	5.3	6	1	37.66	2.05	3	3	Discrimination
Yemen	YE			Very High	High	Extreme		88	1	12.38	0.12	3	3	Persecution
Zambia	ZM			Moderate	Low		7.3		3		3.24	2	1	Stable
Zimbabwe	ZW			Moderate	Low		7.3		3	82.39	3.67	2	1	Stable
Country			USCIRF	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 of Moral Freedom	Varieties of Democracy Index	ARDA Religious Regulation Index	ARDA Religious Minority Discrimination Index	Aid to the Church in Need Report

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