The Top 20 Countries Where Christians Are Being Persecuted in 2025

Rising Against Persecution: The Bold Stand at the Religious Freedom Summit

Yesterday, at the International Religious Freedom Summit, Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a powerful message that struck at the heart of a growing crisis: the erosion of religious liberty in the United States.

With urgency and conviction, Vance blasted America's current approach to religious freedom, calling it "corrupted and distorted to the point of absurdity." He pointed out a shocking reality - that U.S. taxpayer dollars have been used to fund organizations pushing atheism and hostile agendas against faith, all while the persecution of Christians continues to escalate worldwide. His words serve as a stark reminder of how far the situation has deteriorated and the critical need for change.

In countries like Nigeria, where Christians are slaughtered in horrific attacks, China, where pastors are imprisoned, and other regions where believers face daily threats, U.S. foreign policy has shamefully turned a blind eye. Under the Biden administration, even nations like Nigeria have been removed from religious freedom watchlists, making it harder to track the escalating violence against Christians.

The 20 Most Dangerous Countries for Christians in 2025

According to Open Doors, an NGO which supports Christians worldwide, over 380 million Christians face persecution and discrimination – that’s one in seven believers worldwide. Every year, Open Doors publishes the World Watch list listing the 50 countries in which Christians face the “most extreme persecution”. Here are the top 20 in 2025:

North Korea: Christianity is considered a direct challenge to the regime. Those caught with Bibles or expressing their faith are sent to labor camps or executed. Families of believers are often punished, with entire families facing execution for their loved ones' beliefs.
Somalia: Extremist groups like Al-Shabaab actively target and kill Christians. Even rumors of a Christian identity can lead to violent deaths, and the government offers no protection to the Christian minority.
Yemen: Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis, Christians face violence and neglect. Converts from Islam are branded traitors and often face death at the hands of their families or religious extremists.
Libya: With no functioning government, militias and extremist groups have free rein to kidnap, torture, and kill Christians. Many Christians are forced to flee the country to survive the violence.
Sudan: Despite promises of reform, Sudan continues to enforce Sharia law, leading to ongoing discrimination against Christians. Church demolitions, arrests, and violence continue under the government’s indifference.
Eritrea: Often compared to North Korea, Eritrea imprisons thousands of Christians in extreme conditions, often in metal containers. Unauthorized worship is punished with harsh imprisonment and torture.
Nigeria: In the north, Christians face targeted violence from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants. These groups kill Christians, destroy churches, and wipe out entire villages, with little intervention from the government.
Pakistan: Christians face severe discrimination, especially under blasphemy laws that lead to death sentences. Young Christian girls are often abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to Muslim men.
Iran: Christianity is seen as a threat to Islam and the government’s authority. Christians, especially converts, face arrest, torture, and imprisonment. House churches are regularly raided, and Christian materials are seized.
Afghanistan: Under Taliban rule, converts to Christianity face the death penalty. The underground Christian community lives in constant fear of exposure. The discovery of Christian symbols or a Bible can result in execution.
India: Violent attacks on Christians have surged, particularly in areas where Hindu nationalism is on the rise. Forced reconversions and assaults are common, and the government often turns a blind eye to these acts of religious violence.
Saudi Arabia: Christianity is strictly prohibited, and public worship is illegal. Converts to Christianity risk the death penalty, and foreign Christians can face arrest if caught worshipping.
Myanmar: The civil war has escalated dangers for Christians, particularly ethnic minorities. Christian churches are burned, pastors imprisoned, and Christians are targeted by both the military and extremist Buddhist groups.
Mali: Christians in northern Mali face severe persecution from jihadists and Fulani militants. Churches have been burned, believers forced to flee, and converts from Islam face intense pressure. Many are denied basic resources, while missionaries risk abduction. Ongoing violence and political instability, including two military coups, have worsened their plight.
China: The Communist Party’s suppression of religion has led to the destruction of churches, the arrest of pastors, and the forced replacement of Christian imagery with portraits of President Xi Jinping. Surveillance technology makes it harder for Christians to worship in secret.
Maldives: The Maldives strictly enforces Islam, and converting to Christianity is illegal. Christians face imprisonment, exile, or worse for practicing their faith, and the government actively monitors religious activities.
Iraq: Years of war and terrorism have decimated the Christian community. Many Christians have fled, but those who remain live in constant fear of persecution, with little hope for peaceful coexistence.
Syria: Christians in Syria have suffered immensely due to the civil war and extremist violence. While many Christians have fled after surviving ISIS’s occupation, those who remain continue to face threats from militants and the Syrian government.
Algeria: Evangelism is banned in Algeria, and churches are raided and shut down. Christians face fines or imprisonment if they attempt to share their faith, making it increasingly difficult to practice Christianity in the country.
Burkina Faso: Christians face escalating persecution as Islamist extremists target them with violence, displacement, and church closures. Many believers have been killed, kidnapped, or forced to flee, while converts from Islam face intense pressure from their families. Extremist groups like Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), linked to al-Qaeda, continue to attack Christian communities, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Why This Matters

Religious persecution against Christians is intensifying globally, with systemic violence and suppression of believers becoming alarmingly widespread. At the International Religious Freedom Summit, prominent leaders like J.D. Vance, Sam Brownback, and Congressman Chris Smith highlighted the urgency of confronting this escalating crisis. Despite the dangers, Christianity continues to grow, particularly in the most perilous regions, as believers steadfastly refuse to abandon their faith. This underscores the resilience of persecuted Christians and the pressing need for global attention to their plight.

What Can Be Done?

The international community, especially in the West, must hold governments accountable for their failure to protect religious freedom. Under Vice President Vance’s leadership, the U.S. government has pledged to intensify efforts to defend religious freedom worldwide, advocating for moral clarity in foreign policy.

In the words of Drew Bowling, the Congressional Co-Chair of the Summit, it is essential "to give voice to the voiceless and elevate religious freedom as a renewal of the global human rights movement." Inaction only serves to empower the oppressors, but with focused pressure and global attention, persecuted Christians can be given the chance for change and protection.

The time for action is now.

Heike Claudia du Toit

South African Journalist | | Linguistics Honors Candidate