By Mark Ellis —
Christian persecution rose in the last five years, with over 380 million believers—1 in 7 worldwide—facing high levels of hostility, discrimination, and violence for their faith in Jesus Christ, according to the Open Doors’ World Watch List.
The report, released earlier this year, documents a sharp rise in anti-Christian violence, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and parts of Asia, marking a troubling escalation in the last five years.
But is global persecution increasing on a broader historical basis?
In 2024, 4,476 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons, with 70% (3,100) in Nigeria alone, driven by Fulani militants, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), per Open Doors. The number of Christians facing “high” or “extreme” persecution rose from 340 million in 2021 to 380 million in 2024,
There were 7,679 attacks on churches in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa has emerged as the epicenter of violence, with eight of the ten deadliest countries, including Burkina Faso (201 deaths in 2024) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “The violence score increased as Islamic militants exploit government instability,” notes Open Doors’ Arise Africa campaign.
In Nigeria, radicalized Fulani militias drive Christians from their lands, contributing to 16.2 million displaced Christians among 34.5 million displaced in the region.
In India, Hindu nationalism fueled 720 attacks on Christians in 2023, with 1,629 detained without trial, per International Christian Concern (ICC).
Nicaragua, ranked 30th on the Open Doors list, saw 94 clergy expelled in 2024, reflecting leftist oppression presumably modelled after Cuba’s.
Historically, today’s persecution differs from past eras. In the Roman Empire (1st–4th centuries), Christians faced state-sponsored purges under Nero and Diocletian, with thousands martyred, as Eusebius records in Church History.
The 20th century saw over 70 million Christian martyrs, half under communist regimes in the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea, with 700,000 killed in North Korean labor camps (1948–1987), according to Gordon-Conwell Resources.
While modern annual deaths (4,476 in 2024) are lower than the 20th century’s peak of 100,000–160,000 annually, the geographic scope is broader, affecting 55 countries with “extreme” or “very high” persecution in 2023, up from 23 in 2015, according to Open Doors. Technology is a dangerous tool of oppression in the hands of authoritarian governments, with primary examples being China’s surveillance cameras in churches and India’s social media-driven mob violence targeting believers.
In North Korea, an estimated 400,000 secret believers risk death for possessing a Bible, but the church is growing underground, just as it did under Chinese communist persecution.
Iran’s Christian population, one of the fastest growing despite government crackdowns, reflects this resilience.
This spiritual strength under pressure recalls the early church’s growth under Roman persecution, as Acts 8:4 notes: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”
In conclusion, while Christian persecution has increased in recent years, historically it is less systematic than during the Roman Empire or 20th-century communist purges, but broader in scope (55 countries) and in some countries, insidiously driven forward by technology gains.
We must ensure persecuted believers are not forgotten, as Hebrews 13:3 urges: “Remember those in prison as if you were together with them.”
