Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)
This year, 2025, marks the fifth year of ISPU’s National Islamophobia Index, previously measured in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The Islamophobia Index is a measure of the level of public endorsement of five false, negative stereotypes associated with Muslims in America. These are the items used to construct the index:
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements, where 1 means you strongly disagree and 5 means you strongly agree in regard to most Muslims living in the United States.
- Most Muslims living in the United States are more prone to violence than other people.
- Most Muslims living in the United States discriminate against women.
- Most Muslims living in the United States are hostile to the United States.
- Most Muslims living in the United States are less civilized than other people.
- Most Muslims living in the United States are partially responsible for acts of violence carried out by other Muslims.
Answers to this battery of questions were used to construct an additive scale that measures overall anti-Muslim sentiment. The scale is standardized to range from 0 to 100. The resulting Islamophobia Index provides a single metric that is easy to understand, compare, and track over time. The Islamophobia Index measures the endorsement of anti-Muslim stereotypes (violent, misogynist), perceptions of Muslim aggression toward the U.S., degree of Muslim dehumanization (less civilized), and perceptions of Muslim collective blame (partially responsible for violence), all of which have been shown to predict public support for discriminatory policies toward Muslims.
It is noteworthy that this index, while called simply the “Islamophobia Index,” only measures anti-Muslim sentiment among the public and not the degree to which Islamophobia is institutionalized by the state. Islamophobia is not simply a phenomenon of societal sentiment but also a structural phenomenon, manifesting in legislation, budget decisions, and law enforcement practices at the local, state, and federal levels. While our index does not measure structural Islamophobia, public tolerance for many of these practices is linked to higher scores on the Islamophobia Index.
Islamophobia Rises in 2025 Compared to Previous Years
The Islamophobia Index, which measures the degree to which people endorse anti-Muslim stereotypes, has risen sharply in 2025 compared to previous years. Among the general population in the U.S., the index jumped from 25 in 2022 to 33 in 2025. This jump was most pronounced among white Evangelicals (15 points) and Catholics (12 points). Jews had an Islamophobia score of 17 in 2022, the lowest of any group that year, which increased only slightly to 19 in 2025, on par with Muslims (19). Protestants also rose 7 points from 23 in 2022 to 30 in 2025. Muslims decreased on the Islamophobia Index from 26 in 2022 to 19 in 2025. The only group that did not change since 2022 were the non-affiliated (22 to 23).
Islamophobia in the General Public
Islamophobia Rises Even among Young People in the General Public
Even among young people in the general public, ages 18–29, there was a marked increase in Islamophobia between 2022 and 2025, from 24 to 31, an 8 point increase. Between 2018 and 2022, Islamophobia Index scores for 18-to-29-year-olds in the general public ranged from 21 to 24.
Sharpest Increases in Islamophobia Are among White and Hispanic Americans in the General Public
The Islamophobia Index rose from 2022 to 2025 most sharply among white (24 to 35) and Hispanic Americans (25 to 34) in the general public. Black Americans’ Islamophobia Index score stayed fairly stable with only a slight rise from 26 in 2022 to 29 in 2025.