The report also assessed government restrictions on religion through the Government Restrictions Index (GRI), which measures laws and policies limiting religious practices. India scored 6.4 out of 10 on the GRI, categorized as ‘high,’ just below the threshold for ‘very high’ (6.6).
Key Findings
- Global Trends: Only 12% of countries had ‘high’ or ‘very high’ SHI and GRI scores in 2022, including India, Nigeria, Syria, and Pakistan.
- South Asia’s Landscape: India and Pakistan have consistently scored high on both indices since 2007, while Bangladesh has frequently recorded high scores.
- Global Shifts: The number of nations with ‘high’ or ‘very high’ SHI scores rose to 45 in 2022, while those with ‘high’ or ‘very high’ GRI scores increased to 59.
Countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Israel, and Yemen reported religion-related violence by non-state actors alongside high government restrictions. Contrastingly, nations such as Canada and South Korea had low or moderate scores on both indices.
The study also noted that government restrictions and social hostilities often align, with higher scores on one typically correlating with higher scores on the other.
This analysis underscores a global rise in religion-related tensions and government restrictions, with India emerging as a focal point in 2022.
