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As Open Doors launches its annual World Watch List—the report of the 50 places where it's most dangerous to follow Jesus—it can be easy to become overwhelmed by all the data, the facts and figures, and the sheer reality of persecution.
It's vital to remember that behind each number is a person, a brother or sister risking their comfort, safety, and sometimes even their life to follow Jesus. This is radical faith in action!
To help you unpack this year's list, here are five things you need to know. We hope this new research helps you pray this year as you come alongside your family around the world in 2026:
The 2026 World Watch List offers a sobering look at the reality of persecution against our brothers and sisters. In fact, Open Doors' research found that the total score for the top 50 countries on this year's list has reached the highest level ever: 3,810 points, 35 points higher than the 2025 list.
Once again, North Korea ranks No. 1 on the World Watch List. Little about the general persecution situation has changed. North Korea took steps to strengthen its military might in 2025 and also pursued additional diplomatic relationships. It even made some passing efforts at opening up tourism for Russian citizens. But by and large, the country remains one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world.
The rest of the top 10 includes most of the same countries as last year's World Watch List—Libya fell from No. 4 to No. 9 (primarily due to a decline in verifiable violent incidents).
There was one big change in the top 10, however: Syria. Syria jumped from No. 18 to No. 6, the largest leap on the list by far. More details on Syria's shocking rise are below.
Elsewhere, Nepal (No. 46) is a new entry to the 2026 World Watch List, though it has been in the top 50 in previous years. This is primarily because Hindu nationalists took advantage of the instability caused by massive protests that led to the resignation of the Nepali Prime Minister. Vietnam fell from the top 50, primarily due to a drop in verifiable violence incidents.
When the Assad regime fell, the uncertainty across Syria was echoed by Christians, and most international observers were afraid of the extremist background of Syria's new leaders. Fortunately, the government hasn't proved to be a significant perpetrator (aside from some general pressure points) and has, in some cases, made efforts to include Christians in the new Syria.
But the year-old regime has also shown that truly running Syria and restoring rule of law will be difficult. Instability has made it possible for some extremists to target Christians; it's also meant that Christians are caught in the crossfire of violent conflicts that aren't targeting them.
The biggest reason for Syria's jump was violence, particularly the church attack in Damascus that killed 25 people. That attack also had a chilling effect on the Syrian church, which has already endured more than a decade of civil war, a massive earthquake, and the rise of ISIS.
But it wasn't just violence: Pressure also rose across the board in Syria. Even places that were previously safer had their share of pressure and persecution during the research period. Across the country, Syrian Christians are vulnerable.
It can be hard to see any hope in Syria. But we know that God is still at work. And Open Doors' partners in Syria have confirmed this. They tell us that the uncertainty of the last decade has caused some Syrians to question and to seek—meaning an increasing number of people are asking about Jesus. Praise God!
During the 2026 World Watch List reporting period, Open Doors researchers counted 4,849 total deaths that happened due to Christian faith. And 4,491 deaths out of that total took place in sub-Saharan Africa—93% of the global number.
Nigeria (No. 7), which made international headlines in late 2025 as more global leaders began to recognize the reality of violence against Christians, is responsible for more than 70% of global deaths for faith-related reasons. This violence is largely driven by Islamic extremists who attack Christian communities with seemingly no consequences. This trend is echoed for Christians across sub-Saharan Africa, where Islamic radicalism has taken root and created a pressure cooker for the people of God.
In some places in sub-Saharan Africa, internal conflicts may not necessarily target Christians (though that happens, too). Instead, Christians are additionally vulnerable (like in Sudan, ranked No. 4) or the conflict makes it even more dangerous for followers of Christ. For instance, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (No. 29), rebel group M23 is active along the border with Rwanda—they do not specifically target Christians, but the instability they create allows opportunities for other groups like Allied Democratic Forces (a group affiliated with the Islamic State group) to commit atrocities against Christians.
This pattern is repeated across the continent, where instability, internal conflict, and insurgencies lead to situations where Christians are either directly targeted, suffer in the crossfire, or are made additionally vulnerable because of their faith.
The government also plays a huge role in the persecution reality for Christians. In places like Ethiopia (No. 36), that's because the government isn't powerful enough to control the entire territory or protect its people in some areas. In other places like Eritrea (No. 5), a strong government wields the power of the state to target followers of Jesus.
The sheer scale of Christians across the 14 sub-Saharan African countries on the World Watch List tells the story as well. These 14 countries comprise more than 721 million people, nearly half of whom identify as Christian. One of every eight Christians on planet Earth lives in the 14 sub-Saharan countries that appear on the 2026 World Watch List. This means the level of violence should drive us to our knees as we mourn with the countless communities affected by the killing.
One alarming outcome is that when a church is squeezed, it can lose its ability to tell the outside what's happening—or to be honest about it. That's happening in a few places around the world.
We've talked about Algeria (No. 20) a few times over the past few years. In fact, there are now no functioning Protestant churches in the entire country.
But a similar chilling trend is taking place elsewhere in North Africa, particularly in Tunisia (No. 31) and Mauritania (No. 21), where Christians have to be careful about what they say for fear the government will misinterpret and crack down.
Similarly, in China (No. 17), ongoing regulations increasingly narrow what is "allowed." Christians are left looking at a shrinking list of freedoms. House churches are at the mercy of government crackdowns, while official churches face more and more requirements to make sure their sermons and policies align with Chinese communist doctrine.
In these places, the pressure can slowly squeeze the life out of the church. Bit by bit, uncertainty around what's allowed and not allowed can make it difficult to live out one's faith, forcing believers into the shadows.
Even though the 2026 World Watch List is a compilation of the places where faith costs the most, Open Doors' research did uncover some encouraging examples this year.
For instance, in Mexico (No. 30) and Colombia (No. 47), there is growing recognition of the specific risks faced by religious leaders in areas affected by organized crime and armed groups. This has elevated the visibility of Christian vulnerability among the public. And in Nicaragua (No. 32) and Cuba (No. 24), religious freedom concerns are so overt that they have remained on the global agenda. Across all four countries, churches continue to show remarkable resilience and creativity in adapting their ministries and community work so they can keep serving vulnerable populations despite a very restrictive environment.
And in Bangladesh (No. 33), there was relative calm in the most recent reporting period, after the unrest that led to the overthrow of the Prime Minister in August 2024. This meant a fall in the level of violence directed at Christians.
Finally, even as you read and pray through all the stats and horrifying details from the 2026 World Watch List, remember the promise of Matthew 19:26: God can do even the things that seem impossible to us. Make that your prayer over the millions of Christians represented by Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List.
The story isn't that the persecution is getting worse, or that it's hopeless; the story is that God can redeem it all.