North Korea remains the worst nation in the world for Christian persecution, with the situation in Nigeria continuing to devolve, according to a new report on global religious discrimination. Overall, Open Doors’ World Watch List 2024 found 4,998 Christians were killed over their faith, a figure the organization said is likely much higher due to underreporting. Meanwhile, 365 million Christians face intense persecution and discrimination for their views. 

One of the most alarming statistics in the latest report is the massive, seven-fold rise in church, Christian school, and hospital attacks, with that total increasing from 2,110 in the 2023 study to 14,766 in 2024. Assaults on Christians' homes also rose from 4,547 to 21,431, with the number of believers pushed out of their houses expanding from 124,310 to 278,716.

One of the most sobering lines from a press release surrounding the World Watch List 2024 reads, "More than 82% of Christians killed across the globe for faith reasons were in Nigeria."

The most recent rankings put Nigeria in the sixth spot for persecution and discrimination. But Nigeria isn't alone, as persecution in sub-Saharan Africa, more broadly, is an area of concern.

"Faith-related killings in sub-Saharan Africa far outstripped those of any other region on the annual list," the release read. "This has been a trend for several years." Watch Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, describe the report and the full scope of the problem.

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