Staggering Increase of Violence Against Christians: World Watch List
North Korea retains its hold as the most brutal and dangerous country for Christians, but 14 Sub-Saharan African countries (ranked in order: #2–Somalia, #4–Sudan, #5–Eritrea, #7–Nigeria, #15–Mali, #16–Burkina Faso, #21–Mauritania, #22–Central African Republic, #26–Niger, #29–Congo DR (DRC), #37–Cameroon, #39–Mozambique, #43–Comoros, and #48–Chad) comprise the global epicenter of violence against followers of Jesus, according to this year’s World Watch List, Open Doors’ annual compilation of the 50 most perilous countries for believers in Christ.
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The 14 countries constitute more than 721 million people, nearly half of whom identify as Christian; one of every 8 Christians in the world lives in those countries. Only three countries out of the 50 on the List have the maximum score for violence. All three of them are sub-Saharan: Sudan, Nigeria, and Mali.
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With more than 388 million Christians enduring high levels of persecution and discrimination globally, compared to 380 million in last year’s List, Open Doors says persecution is increasing in breadth and severity.
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“Nigeria is beset by a severe combination of ethno-religious hostility, Islamist militancy, weak governance and organized crime,” Open Doors says in its country analysis. There, more Christians were killed in the 2026 study period for their faith than in all other nations combined, 3,490 deaths in Nigeria among a global tally of 4,849. The numbers are up from the 2025 report, which counted 3,100 deaths in Nigeria among a global count of 4,476.
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Boko Haram, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), Fulani ethnic militia, and Lakurawa are active militants targeting primarily Christians there, as well as a new group, Mahmuda, that emerged in 2025.
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The biggest rise on this year’s World Watch List is Syria, jumping from number 18 last year to number 6, the largest leap on the list by far, following the December 2024 fall of the Assad regime and the takeover by jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The main drivers were attacks on churches and killings of Christians, particularly the June 2025 church attack in Damascus that killed 22 people and wounded 63.
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“The attack in Damascus prompted many Christians to stop attending church,” researchers note. Anxiety about further attacks and the rise of Islamic radicalism has driven believers to hide Christian symbols and avoid public displays of faith.
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Violence extended beyond killings. In Hama, unidentified gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, destroying church property and religious symbols and desecrating graves in a nearby Christian cemetery. Churches faced attacks, Christian schools were shut down, and attacks on church buildings increased dramatically.
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Syria’s interim constitution, established in March 2025, centralizes power in the presidency and establishes Islamic jurisprudence as the main source of legislation. Education is being reformed according to Islamic ideology, eliminating pre-Islamic history and incorporating Quranic interpretations describing Christians as “those who are damned and have gone astray.”
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Loudspeaker-equipped vehicles now roam Christian neighborhoods of Damascus, exhorting residents to convert to Islam. Churches have been posted with leaflets demanding conversion or payment of jizya—a tax on non-Muslims to purchase their safety.
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See the interactive map at the World Watch List website, and view & download the Open Doors World Watch List 2026 Advocacy Report.
The World Watch List is an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. The methodology measures violence against Christians and pressure across six spheres:
- private life
- family life
- community life
- national life
- church life and
- violence.
Rankings are based on verified reports collected during a 12-month research period ending September 30, 2025. More detailed information on the methodology and ranking, and an animated map depicting the spread of persecution from 1993 to 2026, can be found here (password: freedom).
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The 2026 World Watch List reveals a troubling global pattern beyond physical violence: churches being driven underground by surveillance and heavy regulation.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) shares key findings from the latest World Watch List with its constituents for both prayer and greater awareness of the persecution faced by Christians worldwide, saying, “We observe that radical secularization in Europe has contributed to growing ignorance—and at times indifference—towards violations of Christians’ human rights, resulting in persistent under-reporting of Christian persecution in European media. We invite you to speak up for those persecuted for their faith by sharing this information in your networks.”
Also read Baptist Press’ article, World Watch List 2026: Christian Persecution At All-Time High in 15 Nations and Christianity Today’s article, The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous for Christians in 2026.
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