A record 388 million Christians faced persecution and were at risk of violence worldwide over the past year—eight million more than in previous periods—according to new findings by Christian charity Open Doors.
“Unfortunately, this is once again a record year,” noted Cristian Nani, the Italian director of Open Doors, which published its World Watch List 2026, the latest annual persecution report. “Of these 388 million, 201 million are women or girls, while 110 million are minors under the age of 15.”
Open Doors reported that one in seven Christians faced persecution and discrimination for their faith, based on data from September 2024 through September 2025.
“For 388 million believers worldwide—more than the entire U.S. population—following Jesus isn’t just difficult; it’s becoming impossible without divine intervention,” added Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors, in a statement.
Nigeria remains the global epicenter of deadly violence against Christians.
Of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith, 3,490 were from Nigeria, an increase of 3,100 from the prior year, according to Christian investigators. “I’m heartbroken at the gender-based violence and the way it affects women and girls and destroys families,” said Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK, referring to attacks in Nigeria.
“I’m heartbroken at the kidnapping and execution of pastors and the burning of church buildings,” she added.
North Korea tops the list of 50 nations with the most severe persecution of Christians, the report said. The authoritarian single-party Communist state “is arguably the most dangerous place on earth to follow Jesus,” Open Doors stressed. If discovered, Christians face imprisonment in notorious labor camps with little hope of release—or immediate execution—often extending to family members.
While church buildings displayed in the capital, Pyongyang, “might suggest a degree of tolerance, this is propaganda,” the group said. “Christianity has no place in North Korea, where homage must be directed one way only: toward the Kim regime,” led by Kim Jong-un.
Conditions worsened further in recent years, mainly due to the “anti-reactionary thought law” introduced in 2020, which made clear that being a Christian or owning a Bible is a serious crime, Open Doors warned.
No comments:
Post a Comment