WORLD: 2026 Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
29 countries covered, 18 proposed for the status of CPC (Country of Particular Concern) and 11 recommended for inclusion on the Special Watch List
By Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers
HRWF (12.03.2026) – The 2026 Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of global freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) during 2025.
The 2026 report assesses religious freedom conditions in 29 countries and highlights broader global developments related to religious persecution, discrimination, and restrictions on religious practice. The report emphasizes that religious freedom remains under severe threat in many parts of the world, with millions of individuals facing violence, imprisonment, discrimination, or legal penalties because of their religious beliefs or practices.
The report evaluates violations, identifies key trends affecting religious communities worldwide, and offers policy recommendations to the U.S. government aimed at protecting and promoting religious freedom internationally.
The report is organized into several major sections. These include an overview of global trends in religious freedom, an evaluation of U.S. policy implementation under the International Religious Freedom Act, country-specific analyses, and recommendations for designating governments or non-state actors responsible for severe violations. The report also discusses developments that affect religious freedom in countries not formally designated under USCIRF monitoring categories.
Global Trends in Religious Freedom
One of the report’s central findings is that religious freedom conditions deteriorated or remained severely restricted in many regions during 2025. According to USCIRF, both state and non-state actors contributed to violations of religious freedom through legal restrictions, harassment, imprisonment, and violence against religious minorities.
Three major trends stand out in the report.
- Intensification of State Control over Religion
In many countries, governments increasingly use laws and administrative regulations to control religious expression. These measures include registration requirements for religious organizations, restrictions on worship gatherings, and the criminalization of religious conversion or proselytization. Authoritarian governments often justify these restrictions in the name of national security or social stability.
The report notes that such policies frequently target minority religious groups or individuals whose beliefs diverge from the official ideology or dominant religion. In some cases, governments enforce strict interpretations of state-approved religious doctrine while punishing dissenting interpretations.
- Violence by Non-State Actors
Another significant trend is the persistence of violence against religious communities carried out by militant groups and other non-state actors. These groups frequently target religious minorities through kidnappings, killings, forced conversions, or destruction of places of worship.
Such violence is especially prevalent in regions experiencing armed conflict or political instability. In these contexts, religious identity often becomes intertwined with ethnic or political tensions, making minority communities particularly vulnerable.
- Growing Use of Technology for Religious Repression
The report also highlights the expanding use of surveillance technology and digital monitoring by governments to control religious groups. Authorities increasingly rely on online monitoring, facial recognition, and digital databases to track religious activities and suppress dissent.
These technological tools allow governments to enforce restrictions more efficiently and often create an environment of fear among religious communities.
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. government advisory body established under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor religious freedom conditions abroad and make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.
Countries of Particular Concern
A key element of the USCIRF report is its recommendation of countries that should be designated as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs)—states responsible for “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom.
For 2026, based on religious freedom conditions in 2025, USCIRF recommends 18 countries for the U.S. Department of State:
Afghanistan, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.
These countries were cited for practices such as imprisonment of religious leaders, repression of minority faith communities, destruction of religious sites, and enforcement of discriminatory laws.
Special Watch List Countries
In addition to CPC recommendations, USCIRF also proposes countries for the Special Watch List (SWL). These are governments that engage in or tolerate serious violations of religious freedom but whose abuses do not reach the threshold for CPC designation.
The report recommends 11 countries for inclusion on the Special Watch List: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
These countries are characterized by policies such as discrimination against religious minorities, restrictions on places of worship, and limitations on religious expression.
Entities of Particular Concern
The report also identifies non-state actors responsible for severe religious freedom violations. These groups are recommended for designation as Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs).
Seven groups were identified, including militant organizations operating in Africa and the Middle East. These entities have engaged in violent acts such as attacks on religious communities, destruction of religious sites, and forced displacement of populations. USCIRF recommends
- Al-Shabaab (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya)
- Islamic State – Sahel (ISSP)/ ISIS Sahel (The Sahel and Lake Chad Regions)
- Islamic State in West Africa/ ISWAP (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad)
- Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin/ JNIM (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger)
- Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAST)/ Boko Haram (Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger)
- Rapid Support Forces/ RSF (Sudan)
- The Houthis
Implementation of U.S. Policy
The report also evaluates how effectively the United States government implemented the International Religious Freedom Act during 2025. USCIRF notes that U.S. policymakers took several steps to promote religious freedom globally, including diplomatic engagement, congressional hearings, and advocacy on behalf of imprisoned religious believers.
Members of the U.S. Congress participated in hearings on religious freedom conditions in various regions and advocated for prisoners of conscience documented in USCIRF’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List. The report emphasizes the importance of sustained diplomatic pressure and multilateral cooperation to address religious persecution worldwide.
Policy Recommendations
The report provides numerous recommendations aimed at strengthening international religious freedom protections.
Key recommendations include:
- Stronger diplomatic pressure on governments responsible for religious persecution.
- Targeted sanctions against officials and institutions involved in severe violations.
- Support for civil society organizations that defend religious freedom.
- Greater coordination with international partners to address religious persecution collectively.
- Continued monitoring and reporting on religious freedom conditions in high-risk regions.
USCIRF emphasizes that promoting religious freedom should remain a central element of U.S. foreign policy and international human rights advocacy.
Conclusion
The 2026 USCIRF Annual Report presents a sobering assessment of the global state of religious freedom. Despite legal protections in many countries, millions of people continue to face discrimination, imprisonment, and violence because of their religious beliefs or practices.
The report underscores that religious repression often stems from a combination of authoritarian governance, extremist violence, and discriminatory legal systems. At the same time, it highlights the importance of international advocacy, diplomatic engagement, and policy initiatives aimed at protecting the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.
Ultimately, the report concludes that safeguarding religious freedom is essential not only for protecting individual rights but also for promoting social stability, democratic governance, and peaceful coexistence among diverse religious communities.
