According to a report by Pew Research Center, India ranked highest among 198 nations on Social Hostilities Index (SHI) for 2022. This index measures the extent of religion-related harassment, mob violence, terrorism, militant activities, and disputes over religious conversions or the use of religious symbols and attire. India scored 9.3 out of 10 on the SHI, where scores above 7.2 are categorised as “very high.”
The report also evaluated countries on the Government Restrictions Index (GRI), which assesses laws, policies, and actions that regulate or limit religious beliefs and practices. These include bans on specific beliefs or practices, unequal benefits for religious groups, and mandatory registration for religious organisations to access benefits. India recorded a “high” GRI score of 6.4 out of 10, with scores exceeding 6.6 classified as “very high.”
In 2022, only 12% of countries (25 nations) had both “high” or “very high” SHI and GRI scores. These countries included India, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, Afghanistan, Israel, Libya, Palestinian territories, Ukraine, Bangladesh, France, Jordan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Tunisia, Indonesia, Yemen, Laos, Nepal, Algeria, Maldives, and Armenia.
Approximately 62% of countries, including Canada and South Korea, had “low” or “moderate” SHI and GRI scores. In contrast, 16% of nations, such as China and Cuba, exhibited “high” or “very high” GRI scores but “low” or “moderate” SHI scores. Conversely, 10% of countries, including Brazil and the Philippines, had “low” or “moderate” GRI scores but “high” or “very high” SHI scores.
The report highlighted that government interference in worship was pervasive in 2022, affecting 86% of countries and territories (170 in total). Such interference included policies and actions that obstruct worship, deny access to places of worship, or impose restrictions on religious practices and rituals, such as burial practices.
