New Zealand mostly has low levels of religion-related social hostilities Social Hostilities Index median scores
New Zealand has some of the lowest levels of government restrictions on religion in the world, with a score in 2016 of just 0.48 out of 10 on Pew Research Center’s Government Restrictions Index (GRI). Still, while New Zealand’s GRI score has been low since we first began measuring it in 2007, it did tick upwards slightly in 2016. This recent increase is due in part to derogatory statements made by Winston Peters, leader of the New Zealand First Party, when he said in June 2016 that certain countries “treat their women like cattle,” and suggested that all immigrants should be screened for unacceptable attitudes before being permitted to enter the country. Some media reports said he specifically referred to Muslim immigrants, which he denied.
New Zealand had “low” levels of social hostilities involving religion in 2016 (with a Social Hostilities Index score of 0.9 out of 10). There have been incidents of religiously motivated violence and hostilities in the past, although these cases have been relatively rare. In September 2016, for example, the Whanganui branch of the Right Wing Resistance, a right wing organization, circulated pamphlets that accused Muslim refugees in the country of intending to change the culture of New Zealand to suit themselves and to “kill anyone” who did not believe in God.
New Zealand mostly has low levels  | of religion-related social hostilities  | Social Hostilities Index median scores  | (10-point scale), 2007-2016  | Asia-Pacific  | 1.7  | 1.8  | Global  | 1. O  | 0.9  | 0.4  | New Zealand  | 2007 2008  | 2010  | 2012  | 2014  | 2016  | Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data  | See Methodology for details.  | ar Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion  | in 2016"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 