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Home Research Topics Religion Religion & Government
Pew Research CenterSeptember 29, 2017
Many Countries Favor Specific Religions, Officially or Unofficially

One-in-five countries have a preferred or favored state religion

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One-in-five countries have a preferred or favored state religion

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Many Countries Favor Specific Religions, Officially or Unofficially
Four-in-ten countries have official state religions or preferred religions
Official religions most common in Middle East-North Africa
One-in-five countries have a preferred or favored state religion
Most countries have no official or preferred religion
Ten countries have a hostile relationship with religious institutions
Islam is the most common state religion around the world
Most countries with preferred religions favor Christianity
Middle East-North Africa has highest share of official religions, Europe has highest share of preferred religions
State religions often receive benefits, privileged status
Government funding or resources tend to disproportionately benefit official religion
More than half of preferred religions receive disproportionately beneficial funding or resources for religious education
Central and Eastern European countries and their state-religion relationship
Those in countries without an official or preferred religion favor separation of church and state
Official or preferred religion seen as very important for national identity
Higher government restrictions on religion in states with an official religion

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