Over 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination – that’s one in seven believers worldwide. You can stand with believers counting the highest cost for following Jesus.

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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 – 6,200,000 Brunei Capital city – Bandar Seri Begawan Christian Population – 55,600 Bhutan Capital city – Thimphu Christian Population – 18,800 Central African Republic Capital city – Bangui Christian Population – 4,400,000 Cuba Capital city – Havana Christian Population – 6,800,000 Eritrea Capital city – Asmara Christian Population – 1,700,000 Kyrgyzstan Capital city – Bishkek Christian Population – 263,000 Myanmar Capital city – Naypyidaw Christian Population – 4,800,000 Mauritania Capital city – Nouakchott Christian Population – 11,000 Mexico Capital city – Mexico City Christian Population – 123,300,000 Niger Capital city – Niamey Christian Population – 69,200 Oman Capital city – Muscat Christian Population – 187,000 Qatar Capital city – Doha Christian Population – 381,000 Somalia Capital city – Mogadishu Christian Population – 100 Syria Capital city – Damascus Christian Population – 579,000 Tajikistan Capital city – Dushanbe Christian Population – 62,600 Vietnam Capital city – Hanoi Christian Population – 9,800,000 Yemen Capital city – Sanaa Christian Population – 100 Ethiopia Capital city – Addis Ababa Christian Population – 75,500,000 Mali Capital city – Bamako Christian Population – 542,000 Türkiye Capital city – Ankara Christian Population – 257,000 Turkmenistan Capital city – Ashgabat Christian Population – 164,000 Tunisia Capital city – Tunis Christian Population – 23,300 North Korea Capital city – Pyongyang Christian Population – 400,000 China Capital city – Peking Christian Population – 96,700,000 Colombia Capital city – Bogotá Christian Population – 4,970,000 Morocco Capital city – Rabat Christian Population – 33,000 Algeria Capital city – Algeria Christian Population – 144,000 Libya Capital city – Tripoli Christian Population – 35,500 Chad Capital city – N’Djamena Christian Population – 6,000,000 Sudan Capital city – Khartoum Christian Population – 2,000,000 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 – 20,000,000 DRC Capital city – Kinshasa Christian Population – 100,600,000 Nigeria Capital city – Abuja Christian Population – 106,600,000 Nicaragua Capital city – Managua Christian Population – 6,800,000 Cameroon Capital city – Yaounde Christian Population – 17,100,000 Kazakhstan Capital city – Nur-Sultan Christian Population – 5,000,000 Laos Capital city – Vientiane Christian Population – 224,000 Uzbekistan Capital city – Tashkent Christian Population – 406,000 Afghanistan Capital city – Kabul Christian Population – 1,000 Pakistan Capital city – Islamabad Christian Population – 4,500,000 India Capital city – New Delhi Christian Population – 73,200,000 Egypt Capital city – Cairo Christian Population – 10,100,000
Bangladesh World Watch: 24 Christian Population: 950,000 Burkina Faso World Watch: 20 Christian Population: 6,200,000 Brunei World Watch: 48 Christian Population: 55,600 Bhutan World Watch: 36 Christian Population: 18,800 Central African Republic World Watch: 27 Christian Population: 4,400,000 Cuba World Watch: 26 Christian Population: 6,800,000 Eritrea World Watch: 6 Christian Population: 1,700,000 Indonesia Capital City – Jakarta Population – 267,663,435 Kyrgyzstan World Watch: 47 Christian Population: 263,000 Sri Lanka Capital City – Colombo Population – 21,919,000 Myanmar World Watch: 13 Christian Population: 4,800,000 Mauritania World Watch: 23 Christian Population: 11,000 Mexico World Watch: 31 Christian Population: 123,300,000 Niger World Watch: 28 Christian Population: 69,200 Oman World Watch: 32 Christian Population: 187,000 Qatar World Watch: 41 Christian Population: 381,000 Somalia World Watch: 2 Christian Population: 100 Syria World Watch: 18 Christian Population: 579,000 Tajikistan World Watch: 39 Christian Population: 62,600 Vietnam World Watch: 44 Christian Population: 9,800,000 Yemen World Watch: 3 Christian Population: 100 Ethiopia World Watch: 33 Christian Population: 75,500,000 Mali World Watch: 14 Christian Population: 542,000 Türkiye World Watch: 45 Christian Population: 257,000 Turkmenistan World Watch: 29 Christian Population: 164,000 Tunisia World Watch: 34 Christian Population: 23,300 North Korea World Watch: 1 Christian Population: 400,000 Kuwait Capital City – Kuwait City Population – 4,052,584 China World Watch: 15 Christian Population: 96,700,000 Colombia World Watch: 46 Christian Population: 4,970,000 Morocco World Watch: 21 Christian Population: 33,000 Algeria World Watch: 19 Christian Population: 144,000 Libya World Watch: 4 Christian Population: 35,500 Chad World Watch: 49 Christian Population: 6,000,000 Sudan World Watch: 5 Christian Population: 2,000,000 Saudi Arabia World Watch: 12 Christian Population: 2,300,000 Iraq World Watch: 17 Christian Population: 187,000 Jordan World Watch: 50 Christian Population: 170,000 Iran World Watch: 9 Christian Population: 800,000 Mozambique World Watch: 37 Christian Population: 20,000,000 DRC World Watch: 35 Christian Population: 100,600,000 Nigeria World Watch: 7 Christian Population: 106,600,000 Nicaragua World Watch: 30 Christian Population: 6,800,000 Cameroon World Watch: 43 Christian Population: 17,100,000 Kazakhstan World Watch: 38 Christian Population: 5,000,000 Laos World Watch: 22 Christian Population: 224,000 Uzbekistan World Watch: 25 Christian Population: 406,000 Afghanistan World Watch: 10 Christian Population: 1,000 Pakistan World Watch: 8 Christian Population: 4,500,000 India World Watch: 11 Christian Population: 73,200,000 Nepal Capital City – Kathmandu Population – 28,825,709 Egypt World Watch: 40 Christian Population: 10,100,000
Levels of persecution:
  •   Extreme
  •   Very High
  •   High
View country profiles
2025  ranking
  1. North Korea
  2. Somalia
  3. Yemen
  4. Libya
  5. Sudan
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Prayer and praise

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Pray for believers who are forced to flee their homes – by violence, persecution or both. May they know God’s comfort and presence, and be protected from harm.
GIVE THANKS
For all who are receiving urgent aid and hope in the aftermath of Myanmar’s earthquake, and for the light of Christ being shone among those who are affected.
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    Courageous Christians

    These believers are bravely following Jesus despite enormous opposition, or raising support and awareness for the persecuted church. This is the worldwide family of Christians.

    Yang Myanmar
    Pastor Yang (name changed), his family and his church have to repeatedly flee bombs, bullets and persecution.

    Meet Pastor Yang
     
    Myint Myanmar
    Pastor Myint (name changed) and his family had to flee attackers who burned their home to the ground.

    More on Myanmar
     
    Joo Min North Korea
    Joo Min (name changed) escaped the darkest place in the world – and chose to go back, to share the gospel.

    Meet Joo Min
     
    Long + Ha Vietnam
    Long and Ha (names changed) were attacked by their village after their conversion, and forced from their homes.

    Meet Long + Ha
     
    Youssef Cameroon
    Violence by Boko Haram militants has displaced thousands of believers in Far North Cameroon – including Pastor Youssef.

    Meet Youssef
     
    Leah Nigeria
    Leah Sharibu was abducted from her school seven years ago. She is still being held, because she refuses to deny her faith in Jesus.

    Pray for Leah
     
    Barnabas Nigeria
    Pastor Barnabas ministers to a displacement camp filled with Christians who, like him, have fled Islamist violence.

    Meet Barnabas
     
    Joy Nigeria
    Joy and her husband, Pastor Barnabas, are among thousands of Christians living in a displacement camp in Nigeria – they had to flee Islamist violence.

    Meet Joy