For a decade, Pew Research Center has been tracking global patterns in restrictions on religion – both those imposed by governments, and hostilities committed by individuals and social groups. This analysis will highlight a few of the key trends.

A guide to help follow the data: At left is a cartogram depicting world population by country. Each tile represents approximately 400,000 people. 1 The United States, with a population of 310 million (as of 2010), is highlighted.

We have data on nearly 200 countries around the world, but here we look at just the world’s 25 most populous countries in order to make the pool of data more digestible – and see the restrictions that have an impact on the largest number of people. 2

At left are the 25 most populous countries, sorted by population (according to United Nations 2010 population estimates). The United States is the third most populous country in the world, behind China and India.

Read the full article about religious restrictions by Travis Mitchell at Pew Research Center.