Over 380M Christians persecuted internationally, report shows

Christian nonprofit Open Doors released its annual persecution report on Wednesday, which estimated that over 380 million Christians across the world face high levels of religious persecution.

Quick stats:

• Nearly 4,500 Christians were murdered for their faith in 2024

• Over 7,600 churches and Christian properties were attacked in 2024

• Over 200,000 Christians were forced from their homes or into hiding for their faith

Top five countries persecuting Christians

1. North Korea: About 400,000 Christians face immediate execution or exile to brutal labor camps under the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

2. Somalia: With most of the country ruled by the Islamic terror group Al-Shabaab, suspected Christians face house arrests, forced marriages, and threats against their lives and families

3. Yemen: With the Islamic extremist Houthi rebels controlling most of the territory, suspected Christians could face surveillance, torture, or death.

4. Libya: Christians, specifically converts from Islam, face extreme social pressure to renounce their faith. Islamic militant groups are known to target, kidnap, and kill both native and foreign Christians in the country.

5. Sudan: About 2 million Christians face targeted attacks from Islamic extremists, many of whom are abducted and murdered, according to the report. This persecution takes place against a backdrop of mass displacement and a hunger crisis caused by perpetual civil war.

Why are so many African countries persecuting Christians? Researchers identified sub-Saharan Africa as the most violent region for Christians. Weak governments and rising political tensions allowed Islamic extremism to take a foothold and flourish, the report explained. Researchers noted over a dozen countries across Africa that heavily persecute Christians, including Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The East African country of Eritrea committed mass arrests of Christians last year and is known as “the North Korea of Africa,” according to researchers. The government monitors civilian phone calls and internet access and is known to raid private homes and send suspected Christians to prison camps.

Other findings: 

• In a list of the top 50 countries that heavily persecute Christians, researchers listed Mexico at no. 31, coming before Egypt and Qatar. Researchers identified gangs and drug cartels as the greatest risk to Christians in the country. Local Christians who speak out against gangs or take part in community and evangelical work are seen as threats, and the gangs target them, the report explained.

• China was listed at no. 15, above both Iraq and Syria. The Chinese government recently intensified its longstanding crusade against Christianity and began shutting down unregistered churches it previously tolerated, the report alleged.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s story on another nonprofit persecution report published last October.