Over 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination – that’s one in seven believers worldwide. You can stand with believers courageously following Jesus, no matter the cost.

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World Watch List

Open Doors’ annual ranking of the countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.

Bangladesh Capital city – Dhaka Christian Population – 950,000 Burkina Faso Capital city – Ouagadougou Christian Population – 6,100,000 Brunei Capital city – Bandar Seri Begawan Christian Population – 53,000 Bhutan Capital city – Thimphu Christian Population – 19,300 Central African Republic Capital city – Bangui Christian Population – 4,500,000 Cuba Capital city – Havana Christian Population – 6,974,000 Eritrea Capital city – Asmara Christian Population – 1,700,000 Kyrgyzstan Capital city – Bishkek Christian Population – 207,000 Myanmar Capital city – Naypyidaw Christian Population – 4,632,000 Mauritania Capital city – Nouakchott Christian Population – 11,100 Mexico Capital city – Mexico City Christian Population – 124,066,000 Niger Capital city – Niamey Christian Population – 74,900 Oman Capital city – Muscat Christian Population – 191,000 Qatar Capital city – Doha Christian Population – 390,000 Somalia Capital city – Mogadishu Christian Population – 100 Syria Capital city – Damascus Christian Population – 300,000 Tajikistan Capital city – Dushanbe Christian Population – 55,000 Yemen Capital city – Sanaa Christian Population – 100 Ethiopia Capital city – Addis Ababa Christian Population – 81,400,000 Mali Capital city – Bamako Christian Population – 867,000 Türkiye Capital city – Ankara Christian Population – 251,000 Turkmenistan Capital city – Ashgabat Christian Population – 95,000 Tunisia Capital city – Tunis Christian Population – 23,000 North Korea Capital city – Pyongyang Christian Population – 400,000 China Capital city – Peking Christian Population – 96,700,000 Colombia Capital city – Bogotá Christian Population – 4,937,600 Morocco Capital city – Rabat Christian Population – 37,400 Algeria Capital city – Algeria Christian Population – 156,000 Libya Capital city – Tripoli Christian Population – 36,300 Chad Capital city – N’Djamena Christian Population – 6,000,000 Sudan Capital city – Khartoum Christian Population – 2,200,000 Saudi Arabia Capital city – Riyadh Christian Population – 2,300,000 Iraq Capital city – Baghdad Christian Population – 187,000 Jordan Capital city – Amman Christian Population – 170,000 Iran Capital city – Tehran Christian Population – 800,000 Mozambique Capital city – Maputo Christian Population – 19,900,000 DRC Capital city – Kinshasa Christian Population – 104,159,000 Nigeria Capital city – Abuja Christian Population – 107,300,000 Nicaragua Capital city – Managua Christian Population – 6,832,000 Cameroon Capital city – Yaounde Christian Population – 17,400,000 Kazakhstan Capital city – Nur-Sultan Christian Population – 3,594,000 Laos Capital city – Vientiane Christian Population – 219,000 Uzbekistan Capital city – Tashkent Christian Population – 395,000 Afghanistan Capital city – Kabul Christian Population – 1,000 Pakistan Capital city – Islamabad Christian Population – 4,800,000 India Capital city – New Delhi Christian Population – 72,326,000 Nepal Capital city – Kathmandu Christian Population – 1,480,000 Egypt Capital city – Cairo Christian Population – 10,184,000
Levels of persecution:
  •   Extreme
  •   Very High
  •   High
View country profiles
2026  ranking
  1. North Korea
  2. Somalia
  3. Yemen
  4. Sudan
  5. Eritrea
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Prayer and praise

PLEASE PRAY
For the swift release of almost 100 children, students and teachers who have been kidnapped from schools in northern Nigeria by extremist militants. Pray for their protection and comfort, and that the Lord would draw near to their parents and families also.
GIVE THANKS
That Amir-Ali Minaei, a 32-year-old Iranian Christian convert who was sentenced to three years and seven months in Evin prison in 2024 for helping found a house church, has been released.
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    Courageous Christians

    These believers are bravely following Jesus despite the threat of violence, persecution and displacement.

    Elias Syria
    Elias and his family were at a service in Damascus, Syria, when a church bomber burst in. Seven members of his family were among 22 Christians killed.

    Meet Elias
     
    Hanan Syria
    Hanan was with her husband and children in their church in Damascus, Syria, when it was attacked by a suicide bomber.

    Meet Hanan
     
    Zaid Yemen
    Zaid’s journey to faith took him down every avenue – atheism, agnosticism, drugs. Then he met Jesus in a dream.

    Meet Zaid
     
    Jenny Syria
    Your support put Jenny on a path of healing after her father was killed in the June 2025 bomb attack on Mar Elias Church, Syria.

    Meet Jenny
     
    Simin Iran
    ‘Simin’ is an Iranian Christian living outside Iran – she had to flee because of her faith, and she and her family remain in danger.

    Meet Simin
     
    Joshua Myanmar
    Pastor Joshua is one of the believers you supported after the devastating earthquakes in Myanmar.

    Meet Joshua
     
    Lu Mei China
    ‘Lu Mei’s’ church was raided by police. She was arrested, interrogated and detained. It was only the beginning of her battle.

    Meet Lu Mei
     
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