# Freedom of religion by country

This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" &#x2D; please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it!
Freedom of religion :
Concepts
Laicism
Religious discrimination
Religious censorship
Religious liberty
Religious pluralism
Secularism
Separation of church and state
Anti-clericalism
School prayer
Catholic priests in public office
Confessionalism
Theocracy
State religion
Secular state
Confessional state
Atheist state :
Status by country
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
DR Congo
Egypt
Mauritania
Morocco
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
North and South America
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Panama
Paraguay
United States
Asia
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
Pakistan
Philippines
Russia
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Europe
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
France
Georgia
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Norway
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Middle East
Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian territories
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
UAE
Yemen
Oceania
Australia
Topical
Apostasy in Islam by country
Blasphemy laws by country
Female genital mutilation laws by country
Legal aspects of ritual slaughter
Religious male circumcision :
Religious persecution
Traditional African religions
Atheism
Baháʼí Faith
Buddhism
Christianity
Christophobia
post–Cold War era
Catholicism
Catholic Church
Mormonism
Jehovah's Witness
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Oriental Orthodox Christianity
Protestantism
Falun Gong
Hinduism (Hinduphobia)
Islam
Sunni
Shi'a
Ahmadiyya
Alevism
Sufis
Islamophobia
Judaism
Antisemitism
Anti-Judaism
Religious antisemitism
New religious movements
Christian countercult movement
Neopaganism
Rastafari
Zoroastrianism :
Religion portal :
vte :
The status of religious freedom around the world varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion (and the legal implications that this has for both practitioners and non-practitioners), the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.
There are further discrepancies between some countries' self-proclaimed stances of religious freedom in law and the actual practice of authority bodies within those countries: a country's establishment of religious equality in their constitution or laws does not necessarily translate into freedom of practice for residents of the country. Additionally, similar practices (such as having citizens identify their religious preference to the government or on identification cards) can have different consequences depending on other sociopolitical circumstances specific to the countries in question.
Over 120 national constitutions mention equality regardless of religion.

## Africa

Most countries in Africa legally establish that freedom of religion is a right conferred to all individuals. The extent to which this is enforced in practice varies greatly from country to country. Several countries have anti-discrimination laws which prohibit religious discrimination. Several countries, particularly in West Africa and Southern Africa, have a high degree of religious tolerance, both as enforced by the government, and as reflected by societal attitudes. Others, however, have significant levels of religious discrimination, either practiced by government apparatuses or by the general public. Groups facing significant levels of legal discrimination in Africa include Muslims (in majority Christian countries), Christians (in majority Muslim countries), Baháʼí Faith practitioners, Ahmadiyya Muslims (in Muslim countries), and Rastafarians. Additionally, some countries have significant levels of societal animosity against atheists. Some countries ban witchcraft. Several countries establish Islam as a state religion, and some countries with significant Muslim populations also have significant government oversight of Islamic practice in the country, up to and including the establishment of religious Islamic courts, which are most commonly used for family law. These courts are usually present in addition to secular courts, and typically have a subordinate role, although this is not always the case.
Several countries require that religious organizations register with the government, and some ban the establishment of religious political parties. Several countries provide funding for religious institutions and/or pilgrimages.

## Asia

Most countries in Asia officially establish the freedom of religion by law, but the extent to which this is enforced varies. Some countries have anti-discrimination laws, and others have anti-blasphemy laws. Legal religious discrimination is present in many countries in Asia. Some countries also have significantly restricted the activities of Islamic groups that they have identified as fundamentalist. Several countries ban proselytization, either in general or for specific religious groups. Tajikistan has significant restrictions against the practice of religion in general, and other countries like China discourage it on a wide basis. Several countries in Asia establish a state religion, with Islam (usually Sunni Islam) being the most common, followed by Buddhism. Lebanon and Iran, as well as the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria have established confessionalist political systems which guarantee set levels of representation in government to specific religious groups in the country. Some majority Muslim countries have Islamic religious courts, with varying degrees of jurisdiction. The governments of some Muslim countries have played an active role in overseeing and directing forms of Muslim religious practice within their country.
Societal levels of religious tolerance vary greatly across Asia. Groups negatively affected include Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.

## Europe

Virtually every country in Europe legally establishes the freedom of religion for people living in the country, and most also have anti-discrimination laws that specifically highlight religious freedom. However, enforcement of these laws is not always consistent, and several countries routinely fail to implement these laws at a local level. A few countries in Europe continue to have state religions. Most countries in the former Eastern bloc have government programs for the restitution of religious property confiscated by previous socialist governments. Many countries in Europe also provide government funding or other privileges for registered religious groups. Several countries have animal slaughter laws that effectively ban butchers from making kosher and halal meat, and a smaller proportion ban non-medical circumcision, generally on the grounds of animal rights and human rights respectively. In most cases, religious individuals that need to observe these practices are able to import meat and go to other countries to have circumcisions performed without interference from their government.