The world is becoming increasingly perilous for Christians and churches as violence against members of the faith continues to surge, Open Doors International reported in its new World Watch List.
Based on information gathered from October 2022 to September 2023, the list identifies the top-10 most dangerous countries for Christians as North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan.
Open Doors also reported more than 365 million Christians encountered increasingly violent persecution and thousands of churches, Christian schools, hospitals, cemeteries and other properties were attacked around the world.
The 10 nations where the most churches were attacked were China, India, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger and Angola.
“Together the number of churches or other public Christian properties attacked or closed down in these countries was an astonishing 14,129, but researchers believe there could be thousands more cases,” the global ministry said.
A pastor overlooking his destroyed church building in Manipur, India. (Source: Open Doors)
Its report draws special attention to record-breaking increases of anti-Christian activities in sub-Saharan Africa, where 15 of the 26 nations scoring “high” on Open Doors’ persecution scale received “extremely high” ratings due to the use of violence. About 4,600 Christians were killed in 18 of those 26 countries.
The trend of increasing violence also has led to the displacement of 34.5 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, of which 16.2 million are Christians, the report said. Jihadist organizations and repressive governments have driven much of the persecution of Christians in the religion.
“Christians are purposefully targeted or are extra vulnerable in a continent that is beset by the twin problems of radical Islamic elements and increasingly autocratic regimes,” the report says. “This is the ever-growing threat for Christians south of the Sahara Desert and, if left unchecked, these twin pressures are expected to overwhelm them and force them out of their homes and villages.”
Nigeria accounted for 82% of Christians killed for religious affiliation globally.
Nigeria, both a Western and sub-Saharan African nation, accounted for 82% of Christians killed for religious affiliation globally. The nation’s Christian population faces constant threats from multiple Islamist groups, including Boko Haram.
“While the violence in central Nigeria has complex root causes, it has clearly also intensified ethnic and religious divisions,” the report says. “A major cost of violence is malnutrition and the threat of famine due to a collapse in agriculture — in 2023 there was an estimated 47% rise in those going hungry, from 17 to 25 million people.”
China is the world’s leader in aggressive action against congregations after closing no fewer than 10,000 churches in 2023, the report states. “Most were house churches, but official churches are under pressure too. New regulations mean churches must display signs reading, ‘Love the Communist Party, love the country, love the religion.’”
China, which ranked 19th on the World Watch List, also has boosted digital surveillance across the nation and has required Christians in some areas to register electronically to attend church services. “According to recent research, a growing number of patent filings in China concern technology which helps to identify deviant or abnormal behavior — and for the Chinese authorities, this would include participation in illegal Christian groups.”
Eritrean Christians praying in a secret location. (Source: Open Doors)
But leading the way in the persecution of Christians last year was China’s neighbor and ally, North Korea. “Pressure in all spheres of life for Christians remains at the maximum level. A widely reported arrest of a family of Christians in April 2023 illustrated the extremely high price of being a Christian in the country,” the report explains.
The family of five was detained during an underground prayer service in a farmhouse and eventually imprisoned. “It is common for Christians facing this charge to be held in prison or a labor camp indefinitely,” the ministry said in a June report of the incident.
A 2022 U.S. State Department study described how difficult it is to be a Christian in North Korea even when not incarcerated: “Defector accounts indicated religious practitioners often concealed their activities from family members, neighbors, coworkers and others due to fear of being branded as disloyal and concerns their activities would be reported to authorities. Some defectors and NGOs reported unapproved religious materials were available clandestinely.”
India was listed as No. 2 offender in oppressing churches due to government restrictions and mob violence, especially in the state of Manipur. Open Doors said its partners have documented the death of 148 Christians and attacks on more than 5,000 churches and other Christian properties in the state.
“Manipur is not the only part of India where Christians suffer persecution. India is No. 11 on the 2024 World Watch List, and mass violence against Christians and Muslims has been reported across the country — reports include physical assault and torture. In addition, misinformation about the conflict in Manipur is now being used by Hindu extremists to convince Hindus that Christians may attack and kill them. This has caused religious resentment and has led to ethnic tension,” Open Doors said.
The Western hemisphere is no stranger to the trends described in the report. Nicaragua is No 4 on the list of countries where churches are most often attacked and is the 30th most-dangerous country for Christians.
Nicaragua’s justice system has deteriorated as President Daniel Ortega assumed greater control and subsequently silenced all who oppose the ruling party, the report explains. “The harassment of the church has become more direct, with church leaders prosecuted and imprisoned, and church life increasingly restricted. This comes in retaliation for Christian leaders advocating for the vulnerable and calling publicly for the rule of law to be respected.”
The report also finds gender-specific religious persecution is rising globally, particularly in countries where girls and women hold little power in the home or in society.
“Sexual violence is a common form of persecution, with cases of sexual harassment and assault against Christian women recorded in almost all the countries in the region studied by Open Doors researchers. This vulnerability and control are particularly evident in the digital sphere.”
When attacks originate from other groups, Christian women and girls are especially vulnerable to torture and human trafficking, Open Doors added.
“This takes place all over the world. During such attacks, women and girls are raped, husbands and boys are killed. Women and girls in forced displacement are vulnerable to sexual assault, while men and boys are often killed or physically injured. This happens in many sub-Saharan African countries but also in the Middle East and in Asia, in particular, Myanmar.”