Nearly two-thirds of the world's population lives in countries with serious violations of religious freedom, says a new report prepared by the organization “Aid for the Church in Need“ (ACN), writes Aleteia.org.
The 2025 report found that nearly 5.4 billion people live in the 62 countries where there are serious violations of religious freedom - be it persecution or discrimination. This figure is equivalent to approximately 65% of the world's population.
The report identifies 24 countries as having “persecution“ - the most severe category. This means there are “serious and systematic violations, including violence, arrests and repression.”
The nature of the persecution varies across contexts and countries. In eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen – it is the result of a combination of authoritarian rule and religious extremism.
An additional 38 countries were given the “discrimination” label, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam. This year, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine were moved to the “discrimination” category due to increased violations of religious freedom.
In these countries, “religious minorities face legal, political or social restrictions that limit their freedom of belief,” the report said. Many people face systemic discrimination, such as restricted access to places of worship, restrictions on religious expression or unequal treatment. Only Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan showed improvement, the report said.
In Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Syria and Thailand, there is a mix of authoritarian rule and religious extremism. In Israel and Palestine, ethno-religious nationalism and extremism intersect to undermine religious freedom. Another 24 countries, including Belarus, Chile, Indonesia and Kenya, are “under watch.”