According to a 2021 Pew study report, religious freedom restrictions and persecution are increasing worldwide. The survey did not even include loss of religious freedoms that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government violations reached an all-time high in 2018, as 56 nations(28%) suffered "high" or "very high" levels of restriction. All things combined, 40 percent of the world faces significant hindrance in worshiping God freely.