More than 388m Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.

In Open Doors’ World Watch List top 50 alone, 315m+ Christians face very high or extreme persecution. Explore the country profiles to find information, stories and prayers for each of the countries, along with ways that you can stand with your persecuted church family in prayer and action. More about the World Watch List

2026 CHRISTIAN WORLD WATCH LIST

  1. North Korea
  2. Somalia
  3. Yemen
  4. Sudan
  5. Eritrea
  6. Syria
  7. Nigeria
  8. Pakistan
  9. Libya
  10. Iran

The ones listed above are considered the most dangerous places in the world to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

  1. Afghanistan
  2. India
  3. Saudi Arabia
  4. Myanmar
  5. Mali
  6. Burkina Faso
  7. China
  8. Iraq
  9. Algeria
  10. Mozambique
  11. Egypt
  12. Ethiopia
  13. Tunisia
  14. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  15. Central African Republic
  1. Colombia
  2. Cameroon
  3. Niger
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Kazakhstan
  6. Turkey
  7. Kyrgyzstan
  8. Indonesia
  9. Malaysia
  10. Morocco
  11. Kuwait
  12. United Arab Emirates
  13. Qatar
  14. Oman
  15. Jordan
  16. Tajikistan
  17. Brunei
  18. Sri Lanka
  19. Mexico
  20. Cuba
  21. Vietnam
  22. Laos
  23. Comoros
  24. Nicaragua
  25. Azerbaijan

Key Insight

  • Over 388 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution.
  • The list is based on violence + societal pressure across multiple areas of life.