India witnessed a sharp escalation in public hate speech targeting religious minorities in 2025, with Muslims and Christians facing the overwhelming share of hostility, according to a new report released by the India Hate Lab (IHL), a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH).
The annual study documented 1,318 in-person hate speech events across 21 states and Union Territories, marking a 13 percent rise from 2024 and a 97 percent increase compared to 2023, when 668 incidents were recorded. Researchers said the figures point to a sustained and widening pattern of hostility rather than isolated or episodic spikes.
“The data show that while domestic and international events continued to trigger episodic surges, the more striking trend was the persistence of an elevated baseline of hate speech throughout the year,” said Dr Eviane Leidig, Director of Research at CSOH. “Unlike previous years, hate speech did not taper off outside election cycles.”
According to the report, Muslims were targeted in 98 percent of the recorded incidents. Of these, 1,156 speeches explicitly targeted Muslims, while 133 targeted Muslims alongside Christians. Hate speech against Christians appeared in 162 incidents, accounting for 12 percent of all events and reflecting a 41 percent increase from 2024.