Spain religious freedom attacks reach highest level since 2012

The Observatory for Religious and Conscience Freedom (OLRC) reported 306 attacks on religious freedom in Spain during 2025, marking a 26% increase from 2024 and the highest level since monitoring began in 2012.

Christianity was the primary target, accounting for nearly 70% of all incidents (212 cases). Within this group, Catholics experienced 173 attacks, representing 56.5% of the total. Other documented groups included Jewish communities with 40 attacks (13% of the total), Muslims with 26 attacks, and Jehovah's Witnesses with 11.

The report categorized the incidents into several types: 105 cases of belligerent secularism, 73 attacks on places of worship or religious symbols, 72 instances of religious mockery, and 50 instances of harassment against believers. Additionally, six cases involved physical violence.

OLRC President María García stated that the situation is worsening rather than improving. The report also identified political actors involved in documented cases, noting 31 instances linked to PSOE, 26 to Sumar, and 18 to Podemos.