Putting numbers on persecution is always a precarious business and it is good to keep in mind that there is much we do not know. Still, it is helpful to have a yearly list of countries where persecution is most severe, as prepared by Open Doors.
Click here for the World Watch List 2025
BtJ works in many countries mentioned on the list, and we can largely confirm the findings. We see Christians in India struggle with attacks on churches and arrests. Central Asian regimes increase surveillance and threaten believers and churches. House churches in Afghanistan have to keep their heads down to avoid detection by the Taliban. China has gone back decades in time persecution wise, in just a few years. In Pakistan, Christians are at the mercy of the mob. And in Iran the growth of the church is met with fierce resistance from the regime. However, we can also confirm that in Vietnam things are brightening up and doors open for believers to be active in missions.
Looking at this list and our experience on the field, there are three main risk factors for persecution. One is dictatorial regimes. Where political opposition is silenced, media are curtailed, surveillance is high and access to outside information is restricted, persecution often flourishes. This persecution often happens under the radar, as reporting on it or protesting against it is impossible. North Korea is the most extreme example, but we see a similar process in China and some Central Asian countries.
The second risk factor is Islam. Although Christians also suffer from extremist pressures in Hinduism and Buddhism, the scale and reach of persecution under Islam really stands out. It comes from a government level, where for example opening new churches, evangelism and the sale of Bibles to Muslims are forbidden by law. It comes from families, where converts with Muslim backgrounds are confronted with violence from their own family members. It comes from Islamic rebel groups, and angry mobs, who attack and lynch believers, and destroy their homes and churches. And it comes from a judicial level, where authorities do not persecute those who murder Christians, or deny arrested believers a fair trial.
The third risk factor is instability in a country. When a country experiences a lot of violence and death due to civil war, those who oppose Christianity can take the opportunity to attack believers without it even being noticed in the chaos. We see this for example in Sudan. Believers have nowhere to turn for protection. We see something similar in countries with weak central governments that are plagued by extremist rebel groups. This is a reason why in the past year there was such an increase in killings of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, and why Nigeria still tops the list of most killings of Christians. ISIS affiliated rebel groups can act with impunity and governments are powerless (or don’t care enough) to intervene.
In some countries, several of these factors come together. This is reflected in the top ten, where we see nations like Sudan and Yemen (civil war and Islam) and Iran and Afghanistan (dictatorial regime and Islam). Our brothers and sisters there face many pressures. As well as lacking freedom of religion, they also have no freedom of speech, no human rights and those in instable countries often face death all day long, even while trying to fetch water or work their land. Let us particularly remember Christian women, who are extra vulnerable to forced marriage and sexual exploitation and are often denied justice because they simply don’t count in society.
Still, persecution is not just a story of gloom. It is also the story of God building his church despite the opposition of the powers of hell. They did not prevail in 2024. And will not prevail in 2025. We can pray in hope.
