Once again, North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians. Being discovered as a follower of Jesus is effectively a death sentence. In 2023, the country strengthened its border with China so it’s now harder for Christians to flee and harder for support to reach them.
Algeria has gone up four places on the World Watch List, with a disturbing increase in persecution. Previously, there were 47 Protestant churches in the country. Now only four remain open, and they are under intense pressure.
At least 10,000 churches closed in China in 2023. Most were house churches but official churches are under pressure too. New regulations mean churches must display signs reading, ‘Love the Communist Party, love the country, love the religion.’ Digital surveillance is growing, with Christians in one province required to register on a state-controlled app before attending church services.
Thirteen Christians a day were killed for their faith in 2023, on average. Nigeria remains the deadliest place to follow Jesus; 82% of killings happened here. Violence only eased during Nigeria’s elections, which accounted for a drop in the number of Christians killed globally compared to 2023.
The number of attacks on churches and Christian-run schools, hospitals and cemeteries has exploded in 2023, up six-fold compared to the previous year. It’s been driven by mob violence in India, church closures in China, and attacks in Nigeria, Nicaragua and Ethiopia.
When countries are destabilised by war or extremism, Christians are at risk. In 2023, the number of believers forced to flee their homes more than doubled. Across the most dangerous countries for believers in Sub-Saharan Africa, about 3% of all Christians are displaced.
More than 365 million (one in seven) Christians face high levels of persecution for their faith – and persecution is becoming dangerously violent in countries on the World Watch List.
Attacks on churches and Christian properties sky-rocketed in 2023, as more Christians than ever recorded faced violent attacks.
Political instability, war and extremism has created a perilous situation for Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Amid lawlessness, jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have thrived. Weak governments fail to stop them. And militants attack Christian communities and churches with impunity.
Most Christians murdered for their faith in 2023 were killed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria accounted for nine out of 10 religiously-motivated murders. Christians were also killed in Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Many more Christians have also been forced from their homes. Of 34.5 million displaced people across Sub-Saharan Africa, around 16.2 million are Christians.
More than 14,700 churches or Christian properties such as schools and hospitals were targeted in 2023. It marked a six-fold increase compared with attacks recorded the previous year.
In China, at least 10,000 churches were closed. In India, Christian properties were raided by violent mobs. And in Algeria, where there were 46 official Protestant churches, only four remain open and they are now under intense pressure.
These attacks put huge pressure on Christian communities, sparking fear and insecurity. Even if believers do regroup in smaller numbers, they have limited leadership and few resources.
In 2023, more than twice as many Christians were forced to flee their homes compared to the previous year. Political instability, war, extremism and natural disasters have all driven believers from their homelands across the Middle East and North Africa.
Believers are often more vulnerable than other displaced people because of their faith. In countries like Syria, Christians are easy targets for violence. Extremists attack churches and leaders, and put pressure on Christians to move on.
In June 2023, voters in Mali adopted a new constitution. Why is it significant? There are two reasons:
One, the constitution clearly recognizes the non-Muslim minorities (including Christians) in the country. And two, the constitution paves the way for elections (in 2024) in a nation currently ruled by a military government.
Anti-conversion laws in a key southern state of India have been rolled back. It happened after the Congress Party (the main opposition to India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP) won a crucial election in the state of Karnataka.
The move brings hope to Christians who’ve been harassed and intimidated under the controversial law. Open Doors has long warned that anti-conversion laws are a tool of persecution.
Laos, in south east Asia, saw the biggest increase in persecution across the world, up 10 places in the World Watch List. But behind the statistics is another story… one of faith, hope and church growth.
“In all my years,” says our Open Doors country expert, “I have never seen a clearer connection between growing opposition and a growing church. I find it comforting that the biblical verses predicting this connection are still true.”
