The 2025 World Watch List report, released on Wednesday, reveals that 380 million Christians—one in seven worldwide—are facing significant levels of persecution and discrimination.
Open Doors US has ranked North Korea as the most dangerous country for Christians for over 20 years. Ryan Brown, the CEO of Open Doors US, stated, “Even in some of these places where persecution is extreme, the Church continues to exist. The Church continues to grow.”
Brown noted that conditions for Christians in North Korea remain incredibly difficult, with escalating reports of violence throughout the state. Open Doors warns that Christians could face execution or imprisonment in labor camps if their faith is discovered.
Despite this targeted oppression, the report indicates that approximately 400,000 believers in North Korea continue to witness the love of Christ.
Jung Jik (name changed for security reasons), a North Korean Christian who escaped imprisonment twice, testified to the existence of a large underground church in North Korea. He recalls hearing his grandmother murmuring Christian prayers without grasping their significance.
Jung's father became a Christian after fleeing North Korea in search of food, which led to his imprisonment. Following in his father's footsteps, Jung also became a follower of Christ and escaped North Korea.
“My heart still yearns for North Korea,” Jung expressed. “There's still a large underground church. Because you pray, many people are miraculously healed, and they experience God's power. They come to faith.”
Brown highlighted that Christians like Jung, who steadfastly refuse to forsake Christ, serve as a model for Western believers who enjoy religious freedom. He emphasized that throughout Christianity’s history, the Church has thrived despite extreme persecution.
“There are places where the Church is, by all accounts, the life is being squeezed from it,” Brown noted, citing Algeria, which ranks 19th on the 2025 World Watch List, as an example. The report states that “all Protestant churches [in Algeria] have been forced to close, and the number of Christians awaiting trial and sentencing is at an all-time high.”
Other countries pushing the Church underground include Afghanistan, ranked No. 10, where converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death under strict Taliban interpretations of Islamic law. In such regions, Christians risk severe repercussions or even murder from family, clan, or tribe if they renounce Islam.
The report also highlights increased violence in 15 sub-Saharan countries since the 2023 World Watch List, noting that the region is the most dangerous due to Islamic extremist groups exploiting government instability.
Persecuted Christians are especially vulnerable in countries like Burkina Faso (20), Mali (14), and Chad (49), which enter the top 50 for the first time. Christians in Yemen (3), Sudan (5), and Myanmar (13) also face growing persecution as anarchy and internal conflict worsen in those regions.
Nigeria, ranked seventh, is also a focal point, with many Christians targeted by Fulani militants, Boko Haram, and other extremist groups. The report warns that “the measure of anti-Christian violence in the country is already at the maximum possible under World Watch List methodology.”
Brown urged world leaders, including President-elect Donald Trump, to address the issue of Christian persecution, emphasizing the need to make religious freedom a priority.
