The number of Christians across the world who are suffering persecution and discrimination because of their faith has risen to 365 million, according to the latest global index released by Open Doors.
The World Watch List 2024 reveals that now 1 in 7 Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, with the total number of Christians being persecuted rising 5 million in the last 12 months.
The CEO of Open Doors Australia and New Zealand, Adam Holland, said the rise of Islamic extremism and autocratic regimes was unleashing a new wave of violence against Christians.
“In many countries, there is no safe place for Christians, with attacks on Christian churches, schools and hospitals rising seven-fold and attacks on the homes of Christians spiking 371 per cent in the past year,” he said.
Key Findings for the World Watch List 2024
- The number of Christians killed in faith-related attacks last year was almost 5,000, but the death toll was likely to be much higher with so many killings going unreported or deliberately hidden.
- The rate of persecution and discrimination against Christians is the highest in Asia, where 2 in 5 Christians are suffering.
- Of the 50 countries where persecution and discrimination are worst, North Korea ranked first, ahead of Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
- Violent persecution was most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa, where most Christian killings were perpetrated.
A Seven-Fold Increase in Church Closures
Across the globe, the World Watch List research documented a 7-fold increase in church closures, with India and China being two of the largest contributors to that increase. Mr Holland said that the persecution of Christians in India and China, two of Australia’s key trading partners, was rising sharply.
“Tragically, we saw a nine-fold increase in the number of Indian Christians killed, with the number of deaths rising from 17 last year to 160 in 2023. And the number of attacks on churches and Christian schools spiralled from 67 last year to 2,228 while attacks on houses doubled to 180,” Mr Holland said.
“In addition, China closed thousands of churches during and after Covid-19, through a set of old and new authoritarian measures.”
“Large unregistered ‘house churches’, which had been meeting in hotels or office blocks, have been forced to splinter into a myriad of less visible house groups, and many of the venues for state-approved churches were forced to close and merge with larger churches.”
About Open Doors and the World Watch List
The World Watch List is based on the levels of violence, the degree of government restrictions, and the amount of social hostility towards Christians. It uses extensive research, data from Open Doors field workers, their in-country networks, external experts, and persecution analysts to quantify and analyse persecution worldwide.
A copy of the Open Doors 2024 World Watch list is available here. The top ten with their scores
- North Korea 96
- Somalia 93
- Libya 91
- Eritrea 89
- Yemen 89
- Nigeria 88
- Pakistan 87
- Sudan 87
- Iran 86
- Afghanistan 84
The big movers:
Laos: 2023 rank was 31, and the 2024 rank is 21.
The considerable increase in overall score was due almost entirely to a sharp rise in the violence score from 5.0 points in WWL 2023 to 11.3 points. Although killings had not occurred for many years, four Christians were killed in the WWL 2024 reporting period. This had a chilling effect on the wider church (e.g., pastors deciding not to travel alone for ministry engagements but in pairs), which in turn increased the pressure scoring in some spheres of life.
Algeria: 2023 rank was 19, 2024 rank is 15.
In Algeria, increases in pressure were most notable in the National and Church spheres of life. However, it was the rise in violence score which most influenced the overall rise in points: The violence score went up from 4.8 points in WWL 2023 to 9.8 points, mainly caused by an increased number of churches being closed or forced to cease all activity. At the same time,
a greater number of houses and businesses
of Christians were raided, with the increased pressure forcing many to relocate both inside
and outside the country.
Nicaragua: 2023 rank was 50, 2024 rank is 30
The upward trend in the country’s persecution situation continued and was caused mainly
by increases in pressure in all spheres of life. The deterioration of the rule of law in the country has become more evident through the combination of state power being firmly in the hands of President Ortega and the manipulation of the legal framework.
This has made it increasingly possible to silence civil society actors who do not align with the
ruling party’s interests. Thus, the harassment and attempt to suffocate the Church became more direct: Church leaders were prosecuted and imprisoned, and church life at both the individual and collective level became more restricted. This was particularly in retaliation for church and other Christian leaders who publicly called for the rule of law to be respected – especially during and
after the election period – and who provided help for the most vulnerable in society, including those considered opponents by the ruling Sandinista Party.