Research

The overall Z-score for the Religion Indicator used in the Inclusiveness Index in 2019 is comprised of two additional indexes to measure sentiment towards religious minority groups: a Social Hostilities Index and a Government Restrictions Index. The Social Hostility Index measures acts of harassment, intimidation, abuse, or violence against members of a religious minority group by individuals, organizations, or social groups. The Government Restrictions Index measures the degree of governmental actions, laws, and policies that restrict the religious beliefs practices of certain faith-based groups. The visualizations below shows which countries have the most restrictions on religion as well as those that are most inclusive. Additionally, the chart below demonstrates the relationship between the Social Hostilities Index and the Governmental Hostilities Index in 2019.

Analysis

In analyzing the results of the overall Z-score for the Religion Indicator in the Inclusiveness Index in 2019, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq all had the lowest Z-scores, indicating the harshest discrimination towards religious minority groups. When examining the relationship between the Social Hostilities Index and the Government Restrictions Index, we see how these three countries could have received such low Z-scores. While India had the highest score in the Social Hostilities Index, its relatively moderate result in the Government Hostilities Index resulted in India ranked as the fifth lowest Z-score. Likewise, while China had the highest result in the Government Hostilities Index, it had a quite a low Social Hostilities Index. Interestingly, several small island nations scored the highest in terms of inclusion of people from various religions. Specifically, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Sao Tome and Principe had the highest Z-scores for the religion indicator in the Inclusiveness Index in 2019. Finally, it is understandable that the United States received a low Z-score in 2019, given the Presidential Administration’s discriminatory policies against the Muslim community.