1 in 7 Christians worldwide facing persecution for their faith: report

(LifeSiteNews) — A new report details an increase of Christian persecution worldwide as nearly 1 in 7 Christians were persecuted for the faith last year, with North Korea also listed as the worst place to profess belief in Christ.

“More and more Christians are having to worship undercover,” reported watchdog organization Open Doors in its newly released list on Christian persecution in 2024.

In total, over 380 million Christians endure “high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith,” which is an increase of some 15 million from Open Doors’ previous report.

Just under 210,000 Christians have been “forced from their homes to go into hiding or exile because of the faith” in the past year.

Persecution identified by the organization was broadly divided into two kinds: Christians “facing a lack of legal recognition or protection due to their faith,” and Christians suffering “persecution or discrimination in the context of displacement, often caused by violent conflict.”

Topping the group’s top 50 list yet again is North Korea – a country which Open Doors has identified as being the most dangerous place to practice Christianity. Indeed, the communist dictatorship that is North Korea has been listed as the worst country to be Christian 23 times in the annual report, which has been published since 1983.

“Freedom of religion or belief, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are non-existent in North Korea,” wrote Open Doors. “Apart from state-sponsored churches in Pyongyang – claimed to be show churches for propaganda purposes – any manifestation of religious beliefs is prohibited.”

Such persecution has only increased, the report documents, and is partly due to a renewed clampdown on religious practice in the country early last year.

Executions, prison camps, forced labor, being sold into prostitution and forced repatriation are all means used by the authorities against the nation’s Christians. With officials in North Korea denying the existence of prison camps and actual numbers of Christians unable to be verified, Open Doors urged prayers for persecuted Christians in North Korea.

READ: China’s oldest Catholic priest dies at 104 after decades of Communist persecution

Despite the authoritarian rule, some 100,000 North Korean Christians have nevertheless been secretly assisted by Open Doors’ collaborators, offering “vital food and aid, shelter and discipleship training for North Korean refugees at safe houses in China, and training through radio broadcasting from outside the country.”

But outside of North Korea, persecution is very much present also. Sub-Saharan Africa is described as “the most violent region” in the world, where the combination of “weak government and political tensions allow Islamic extremism to flourish.”

Nigeria is described as an “epicenter” for displacement of Christians, as thousands are forced to flee from their homes. Open Doors reported that “almost half” of the global total of 210,000 displaced Christians are from Nigeria, a country listed as the seventh most dangerous in the organization’s list of the top 50 most dangerous countries to be a Christian.

Nigeria also saw the greatest number of Christians killed for their faith in 2024: a total of 3,100 in the country, of the global total of 4,476 Christians killed. The biggest threat, Open Doors writes, “is from Islamic militants who seek to destroy Christianity and Christians in the region.”

Notably, though China has long drawn attention for its persecution of the underground Catholic Church, Open Doors only listed the Communist-run nation as 15th on its list. But it did note that China has increased its usage of “digital persecution” against Christians, as the widespread use of surveillance technology is manipulated against believers and to enforce attendance only at the state-approved churches.

Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan are all worse for Christians than China according to Open Doors, with Islamic persecution of Christians continuing in many bloody and violent forms. Retribution executions for conversions to Christianity, torture, abductions, along with forced marriage or slavery and physical abuse are all documented by the advocacy group. Yet despite such grave threats, Open Doors recounts that interest in the “underground Church” continues to grow amongst young people, especially in Afghanistan.

The advocacy group’s report was launched at the Houses of Parliament in London this week, at an event well attended by 102 of the 650 politicians who have seats in the House. Aiming its report at the U.K. government, Open Doors urged the government to champion the cause of defending freedom of religion around the globe, particularly outlining that aid given to certain nations like Nigeria and Yemen be accompanied by demands for increased safeguards of Christians.

“We call on the UK to continue to speak up for Christians and others who are being denied their fundamental rights on account of their faith or belief,” the group wrote.