Open Doors’ latest World Watch List reveals an escalation in some of the prevalent trends seen over the past years, particularly in targeted violence against Christians. But it also reveals a few new ones.
Christian Persecution: An Overview
Over 380 million Christians now face high to extreme levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. In 2024, the figure was just over 365 million.
If she was caught it would mean a jail sentence.
Unfortunately, targeted violence against Christians is on the rise, which means:
1 in 7 Christians worldwide, 1 in 5 Christians in Africa, 2 in 5 Christians in Asia, and 1 in 16 Christians in Latin America face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
While the ratios remain the same as 2024, the figures used to calculate them (population of each region and numbers of persecuted Christians per populace) have grown.
Top 5 Trends in Christian Persecution 2025
The leading trends in Christian persecution have a common denominator of violence. But across the countries most affected contexts differ, spanning tightly controlled autocratic states, instability due to weak governments, and civil war.
Trend 1: Authoritarianism in Central Asia
No other country in the World Watch List’s top 50 has a greater score increase than Kyrgyzstan. Ranked #61 a year ago, the central Asian country has risen 14 places to rank #47. It’s the biggest move in the List by far, caused by an uptick in violence against the Church.
Trend 2: Civil War in Yemen and Myanmar
Since 2015, Yemen has suffered a civil war between ethnic Houthi rebels and the government. A ceasefire remains elusive, and lawlessness permeates the country, creating space for oppression and the targeting of minorities, including Christians.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 military coup. The recent armed conflict in 2024 between the army and a host of opposition forces nudged the country up four places to #13 in the World Watch List 2025.
Trend 3: Continued Violence Across Sub-Saharan Africa
More Christians live in Africa than on any other single continent. As the largest Christian population on Earth, they have been widely afflicted by targeted violence. Chronic government instability has created a vacuum filled by opportunistic Islamic extremists. Violence is rated “extremely high” in 13 of the 15 African countries in the World Watch List’s top 50.
Trend 4: Signs of the Church Going Underground
Christian isolation and Church diminishment is a pattern detected in the World Watch List 2025 across several countries including Algeria, Libya, Gaza and the West Bank, Afghanistan, and China.
Factors driving this growing caution among Christians to be open about their faith are broad and country specific. They cover church closures, growing pressure on Christians, rising crime, increased corruption growing religious discrimination, political and societal instability, and war.
Trend 5: Mexico Stands Out in Latin America
The World Watch List 2025 assigned Mexico the highest violence score it has ever received. It is also the highest violence score received by any Latin American country in the World Watch List. Organised crime is a huge concern in Mexico. Rival cartels target church leaders and Christian organisations, particularly those attempting to broker peace or help victims of violence and intimidation.
Learn more about the World Watch List 2025 here.
