The status of religious freedom in Oceania varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion (and the legal implications that this has for both practitioners and non-practitioners), the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.

There are further discrepancies between some countries' self-proclaimed stances of religious freedom in law and the actual practice of authority bodies within those countries: a country's establishment of religious equality in their constitution or laws does not necessarily translate into freedom of practice for residents of the country. Additionally, similar practices (such as having religious organizations register with the government) can have different consequences depending on other sociopolitical circumstances specific to the countries in question.

All of the countries in Oceania officially guarantee the right to freedom of religion in a constitution or bill of rights, although over half qualify this freedom as being subordinate to other concerns such as public safety or "morality". Additionally, a few countries have communal local leadership structures which are sometimes hostile to foreign religions, despite official legal requirements for tolerance.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Papua New GuineaUS Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.Saada Angelica, Samoa: A Truly Religious Place? Views Towards Religion in Samoa, S.I.T. Samoa, 2008 Only two countries in Oceania, Samoa and Tuvalu, have state religions (Christianity for Samoa and a specific Christian church for Tuvalu), and a few additional countries specifically reference Christianity as a core or founding principle in their constitutions.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Tuvalu, US State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Samoa, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Vanuatu US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. According to US government reports, about one quarter of the countries in Oceania have had no significant breaches of the freedom of religion;International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Palau US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Nauru US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. a similar proportion have recorded incidents of violence against religious minorities in the 21st century, against Hindus (Fiji), Jews (AustraliaAdelaide synagogue targeted with neo-Nazi posters linked to Antipodean Resistance) and Muslims (New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with other countries having significant quantities of anti-Muslim political discourseInternational Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Fiji US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.Poynting, Scott, and Victoria Mason. "The resistible rise of Islamophobia Anti-Muslim racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001." Journal of Sociology 43, no. 1 (2007): 61-86.).

Australia Chapter V. The States; Section 116 of the Australian Constitution reads: "The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth." Some states and territories, such as Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have implemented additional charters which further protect the right to freedom of religion.

Societal discrimination of religious minorities Antisemitism is present in Australian society, manifesting primarily in the form of attacks on synagogues, ranging in severity from vandalism to arson and bombings. Anti-semitic material has been found distributed on Australian college campuses.

According to some scholars, a particular trend of anti-Muslim prejudice has developed in Australia since the late 1980s. Various far-right groups have held anti-Muslim rallies and have otherwise espoused anti-Muslim political campaigns. A 2014 report from the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy, University of Western Sydney, on mosques in New South Wales found that 44 percent of mosques in the state had "experienced resistance from the local community when the mosque was initially proposed". In around 20 percent of these cases opposition was from a small number of people.

Federated States of Micronesia

The constitution of Micronesia states that laws establishing a state religion or impeding the freedom of religion may not be passed.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Micronesia, Federated States of US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

There are no registration requirements for religious groups. There is no religious education in public schools, but private religious schools are allowed so long as they also teach the curriculum established by the Department of Education.

A small community of Ahmadiyya Muslims (~20 people as of 2017) have reported discrimination, including both the denial of government services and vandalism against their property.

Fiji

The constitution of Fiji establishes the freedom of religion and defines the country as a secular state, but also provides that the government may override these laws for reasons of public safety, order, morality, health, or nuisance, as well as to protect the freedom of others. Discrimination on religious grounds is outlawed, and incitement of hatred against religious groups is a criminal offense. The constitution further states that religious belief may not be used as an excuse for disobeying the law, and formally limits proselytization on government property and at official events.

Religious organizations must register with the government through a trustee in order to be able to hold property and to be granted tax-exempt status.

Religious groups may run schools, but all religious courses or prayer sessions must be optional for students and teachers. Schools may profess a religious or ethnic character, but must remain open to all students.

Religion, ethnicity, and politics are closely linked in Fiji; government officials have criticized religious groups for their support of opposition parties. In 2017, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces issued a press release stating that Methodist leaders were advocating for the country to become "a Christian nation" and that this could cause societal unrest. Following the press release, Methodist leaders distanced themselves from their previous statements, and other religious leaders also affirmed the nonpolitical nature of their religious movements.

Many Hindus of Fiji emigrated to other countries.Sussana Trnka (2002), Foreigners at Home: Discourses of Difference, Fiji Indians and the Looting of May 19, Pacific Studies, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 69-90 Several Hindu temples were burned, believed to be arson attacks, for example, the Kendrit Shiri Sanatan Dharam Shiv Temple."Another Arson attack on Fiji's Hindu Temples", ABC Radio Australia, 17 October 2008"Time to speak up" , Fiji Times, 17 October 2008 While Hindus face less persecution than before, a Hindu temple was vandalized in 2017. Later that year, following an online post by an Indian Muslim cleric visiting the country, a significant amount of anti-Muslim discourse was recorded on Fijian Facebook pages, causing controversy.

Kiribati

The constitution of Kiribati provides for the freedom of religion, although it also states that this freedom may be overruled in the interests of public defense, safety, order, morality, or health, or to protect the rights of others. Most government ceremonies open and close with Christian prayer. The government also provides small development grants to religious organizations among other NGOs.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Kiribati US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Any religious group representing more than 2 percent of the population (about 2160 people as of the 2015 census) must register with the government, although there are no penalties for failure to register.

There is no standardized religious education program in public schools, but schools generally allow representatives of various faiths to provide religious education courses.

Two islands in Kiribati, Arorae and Tamana, maintain a "one-church-only" tradition, refusing to build any religious structures other than a single church. According to officials, this custom is in deference to the Protestant missionaries that arrived on those islands in the 19th century. Residents of other religions on those islands are able to worship freely in their homes, and the government has received no reports of complaints about this policy.

Marshall Islands

The constitution of the Marshall Islands establishes the freedom of religion, although it provides that this freedom may be limited by "reasonable restrictions". The constitution further states that no law may discriminate against any person on the basis of religion.International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Marshall Islands US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

There are no requirements for religious groups to register with the government, but they may receive tax benefits if they register as non-profits.

There is no religious education in public schools, but school events and government functions typically begin and end with a Christian prayer. According to the government, this is a longstanding practice that is widely accepted in the country. The government provides funding to private religious schools.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the Marshall Islands has reported that it faces difficulties interacting with the government, as well as harassment in general society. Representatives attributed these attitudes to prejudice against Muslims due to perceptions that Islam is linked to terrorism.

Nauru

The constitution of Nauru establishes the freedom of conscience and expression, although it provides that these rights may be limited by any law which is "reasonably required".

Religious groups are required to register with the government in order to proselytize, build houses of worship, hold religious services, or officiate marriages. As of 2014, religious groups are required to have 750 members to register. According to local religious leaders, in practice the only activity which is restricted for unregistered groups is marriage officiation.

Religious groups are allowed to operate private schools. In public schools, religious groups are allowed to provide religious studies courses once a week during school hours. Students are expected to attend courses pertaining to their chosen religious denomination; other students are expected to use the time as an independent study period.

According to a 2017 US government report, there are no significant societal limits on religious freedom in Nauru.

New Zealand