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Jan 14, 2026 / 17:04 pm (CNA).

A total of 4,849 Christians were murdered for their faith worldwide between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, 373 more than in the same period the previous year, according to the 2026 World Watch List (WWL).

According to an annual report presented Jan. 14 by the organization Open Doors, which ranks the countries where Christians suffer the most extreme persecution and discrimination, the majority of these crimes continue to occur in Nigeria, which was responsible for 3,490 murders (72%) of Christians, an increase compared with the 3,100 reported the previous year.

Open Doors points to the convergence of Islamist militancy, ethno-religious tensions, organized crime, and institutional weakness in Nigeria. In June 2025, a multi-hour attack on the Christian farming community of Yelwata in Benue state left 258 dead, mostly women and children.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region with the most violent persecution, with Sudan, Nigeria, and Mali ranking as the three countries with the highest scores for violence.

According to Open Doors’ World Watch List, Christian persecution has increased over the last 33 years.

Currently, more than 388 million Christians face high levels of discrimination — which translates to 1 in 7 Christians — compared with 380 million in the previous period. In the 50 countries at the top of the WWL, 315 million Christians face “very high or extreme” levels of persecution and discrimination because of their faith, according to the study.

The report also states that persecution is manifested not only in physical violence but also in churches being forced underground due to surveillance, censorship, and restrictive regulations.

The report highlights the case of Algeria, where all Protestant churches remain closed and more than 75% of Christians have lost contact with their faith community.

The report’s research data, collected between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, show a widespread worsening of the situation: Extreme persecution increased and now affects 15 countries.

North Korea was ranked No. 1 on the list for extreme persecution.

Of the 50 countries included in the report, 34 registered an increase in persecution. The most striking case is Syria, which has experienced a sharp increase in violence against Christians.

This deterioration coincides with the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, which left large areas of the country in the hands of local militias and armed groups, including the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). According to Open Doors, the collapse of state protection has increased the vulnerability of religious minorities to intimidation, extortion, and direct attacks.

During the period analyzed, attacks on churches, forced closures of Christian schools, desecration of cemeteries, and at least 27 Christians murdered for their faith were documented, compared with none in the previous year.

Furthermore, the report reveals that the number of Christians who have suffered sexual violence or forced marriage, both of which particularly affect women and girls, increased by 32% in the 2026 World Watch List compared with the 2025 list. Open Doors has warned that the actual figures could be higher but the lack of reporting of these cases prevents an accurate count.

The report identifies a common pattern in many of the most affected countries: governments incapable of guaranteeing security, structural corruption, and the absence of the rule of law. This power vacuum is exploited by extremist groups in countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger, and Mozambique.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.