Record 388 Million Christians Face Persecution Worldwide, Open Doors Says

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – 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.

NIGERIA LEADS 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.

NORTH KOREA USING AI AGAINST CHRISTIANS

North Korea is also using artificial intelligence to identify “suspicious behavior patterns” to determine if someone is a Christian, the group said. “Despite these dangers, the underground church in North Korea is alive,” Open Doors quoted a North Korean believer as saying. “It worships not with sound, but with whispered prayers and memorized Scripture.”

“Believers continue to follow Christ with quiet courage, deep faith, and a willingness to give everything for the sake of the Gospel,” the source added. At least 400,000 people are believed to be devoted Christians in North Korea.

Somalia also remains among the most dangerous places to practice Christianity, ranking second for the fourth consecutive year. “Somali Christians are among the most extremely persecuted in the world,” said Aweis Ali, the Somali son of a Muslim cleric who converted to Christianity.

“You could be sitting in a cafeteria, enjoying your meal, and somebody could come and attempt to decapitate you,” Ali said.

SOMALIA RANKS SECOND FOR FOURTH YEAR

Overall, 15 countries recorded record-high violence against Christians in the past year—nearly one-third of the 50-nation list—according to the report.

Other countries with extreme levels of persecution include Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Pakistan, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and Mali, Open Doors said.

Amid the ongoing hardship, Hungary was “the first in the world to raise the issue of persecuted Christians to the level of public policy,” after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Middle Eastern church leaders in 2016, the government said.

“The Hungarian government decided to set up a new government department after hearing their pleas for attention and help. With the launch of the Hungary Helps Program in 2017, addressing Christian persecution became part of our national mission.”

HUNGARY SUPPORTS TWO MILLION CHRISTIANS

“Hungary has helped more than two million persecuted Christians,” said Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians within Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Despite concern for persecuted believers, Orbán’s government has been reluctant to accept migrants, Azbej confirmed to Worthy News, saying Hungary prefers to support Christians in their home countries or regions.

Orbán has said that “migration and mass population movement are bad, dangerous things which we want no part of.”

This stance has fueled clashes with the European Union. In June 2024, the European Court of Justice imposed a 200 million euro fine (about $233 million) on Hungary, followed by an additional 1 million euro (nearly $1.2 million) per day for continued non-compliance with EU migration regulations.

EU CLASHES OVER MIGRATION CONTINUE

Hungary has, however, supported some Christian refugees inside its territory as part of broader assistance efforts, several sources told Worthy News.

The right-wing government has urged the European Union to back persecuted Christians through direct aid—including rebuilding churches, schools, hospitals, and homes—rather than encouraging migration, while expressing concern about arrivals from mainly Islamic nations.

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