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

Get involved

Your support helps persecuted Christians continue to courageously follow Jesus. Together, we can reach those where persecution hits hardest.

Give to Christians facing extreme persecution
Explore the World Watch List Top 50
What is the World Watch List?
Send WWL report to my MP
Pray: WWL Online, 22 Jan

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 – 55,600 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: 55,600 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
Explore the list

Latest stories

View more

Prayer and praise

PLEASE PRAY
Pray for all the children of the persecuted church who face bullying, rejection and violence because they follow Jesus. Ask that they will know God’s Fatherly love, protection and strengthening.
GIVE THANKS
That Open Doors local partners are being equipped to bring relief aid and encouragement to displaced Christians in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to our monthly email to hear stories of courageous faith from the field and hear how you can make an impact for persecuted Christians.

    Privacy Policy

    Courageous Christians

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

    WWL #1 North Korea
    If your Christian faith is discovered, you could be killed on the spot. But believers like Joo Min are determined to shine God’s light.

    Find out more
     
    WWL #2 Somalia
    Al-Shabaab, a violent Islamic militant group, is committed to eradicating Christianity from Somalia.

    Pray for Somali Christians
     
    WWL #3 Yemen
    All Christians are in danger in Yemen; it’s incredibly difficult for Christians to meet.

    Find out more about Yemeni Christians
     
    WWL #4 Libya
    Islamic militant groups kidnap and sometimes kill Christians, and families exert intense pressure on believers to return to Islam.

    Pray for Christians in Libya
     
    WWL #5 Sudan
    Families see conversion from Islam as a shameful betrayal, so new believers often keep their faith secret.

    Find out more about Sudan
     
    WWL #6 Eritrea
    Current estimates suggest around 1,000 Eritrean Christians are imprisoned, and they haven’t been charged with any crime.

    Pray for Eritrea
     
    WWL #7 Nigeria
    More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.

    What’s it like in Nigeria?
     
    WWL #8 Pakistan
    About a quarter of all blasphemy allegations are made against Christians, which carry a death sentence and can lead to mob violence.

    Pray for Pakistan
     
    WWL #9 Iran
    Believers from a Muslim background are often arrested and given long prison sentences for ‘crimes against national security’.

    What’s it like in Iran?
     
    WWL #10 Afghanistan
    Any existing house churches remain deeply underground, and Christians live under relentless pressure.

    Pray for the church in Afghanistan