WASHINGTON (AFP) - Conflicts around the world in 2013 triggered the largest displacement of religious communities in recent memory, the United States said on Monday, revealing millions had been forced from their homes last year.

"In almost every corner of the globe, millions of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and others representing a range of faiths were forced from their homes on account of their religious beliefs," the United States said in its annual International Religious Freedom Report. "Out of fear or by force, entire neighborhoods are emptying of residents."