1 in every 9 Christians globally experiencing ‘high’ levels of persecution

World Watch List Trends

In 73 countries the figures equate to 1 in every 9 Christians globally experiencing ‘high’ levels of persecution.

...From a global perspective, the 2019 World Watch List shows that persecution comes from different avenues: from a believer’s family, friends, fellow-villagers and work colleagues, community councils, local government officials and from police and legal systems. When looking at gender, the research shows how Christian women and girls face more persecution pressure in family and social spheres, while men and boys are more likely to experience the brunt of pressure from the authorities or militias.

“This statistical evidence and research show that Christians persecution continues to rise. This reiterates the importance of Open Doors’ work in strengthening the persecuted Church globally,” said Jan Gouws, Executive Director of Open Doors Southern Africa. “The yearly World Watch List reveals the new trends in Christian persecution and helps our organisation to know where to focus our work.”

The top ten countries where Christians currently face the most persecution are:

#1 North Korea (94/100)
#2 Afghanistan (94/100)
#3 Somalia (91/100)
#4 Libya (87/100)
#5 Pakistan (87/100)
#6 Sudan (87/100)
#7 Eritrea (86/100)
#8 Yemen (86/100)
#9 Iran (85/100)
#10 India (83/100)
Source: Open Doors/World Watch Research