Approximately 388 million Christians are currently experiencing significant levels of persecution and discrimination, marking an increase of over 8 million from the previous year, as reported by the persecution monitoring group Open Doors US.
Open Doors has unveiled its 2026 World Watch List, an annual report ranking the countries where Christian persecution is most severe, according to the Christian Post.
Ryan Braun, CEO of Open Doors US, mentioned, “We continue a multi-year trend of escalating persecution.” He noted that the number rose from 380 million to 388 million since last year. He underscored that “the level of really extreme violence is escalating,” particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes about 14 countries on the watch list. For instance, he highlighted Nigeria, stating it is “at the center of a lot of what’s going on right now.” Among the 4,849 Christians killed globally for their faith this year, 3,490 were Nigerian, a rise from 3,100 the previous year.
Additionally, Somalia has held the position of the second most dangerous country for Christians for four consecutive years. Braun remarked, “Somali Christians are among the most severely persecuted people in the world.” He described a chilling scenario: “If you’re sitting in the cafeteria enjoying your meal, someone might come and try to cut your head off.”
Syria has recorded its highest increase in persecution since 2014, following the collapse of the Assad regime and the subsequent rise of extremists in the region.
Overall, North Korea remains the most perilous country for Christians. The report highlights that artificial intelligence is being employed to detect “suspicious behavioral patterns” that might indicate someone is a Christian.
Brown expressed hope that Christians might utilize this list as a resource for prayer, saying it would help them to support those facing persecution worldwide. “Most of the time, these are prayer points taught to us by our brothers and sisters on earth,” he noted. “These are the things they are praying for. So, use this World Watch List as a resource, not just to get information, but to know how we can not just pray for our brothers and sisters, but actually pray with them.”
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