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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
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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 undercover believers who have to be cautious about sharing their faith – ask for God to give them strength, discernment and hope as they take great risks to follow Jesus.
GIVE THANKS
For the 9.5 million persecuted and vulnerable Christians around the world who received support and encouragement through the gifts and prayers of Open Doors in the past year.
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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.

    Yasin Iraq
    Yasin (name changed) is an undercover believer – defying death threats to reveal the hope of the gospel, with wisdom and caution.

    Meet Yasin
     
    Somayeh Iran
    Much to her surprise, Somayeh (name changed) encountered God in a powerful way. People tried to silence her, but God had other plans.

    Meet Somayeh
     
    Elisya Asia
    Despite relentless pressure from her family, Elisya (name changed) refuses to deny Jesus. Read her story in the latest prayer diary.

    Read more
     
    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
     
    Daniel Asia
    Daniel (name changed) has smuggled Bibles into the Muslim world for 25 years, continuing the legacy of Brother Andrew

    Meet Daniel
     
    Leah Nigeria
    Leah Sharibu was abducted by Boko Haram militants, along with many other schoolgirls. She refused to deny Jesus – and so is still being held in captivity.

    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