1000 extra Christians had been killed for his or her religion closing yr than the yr earlier than.
1000 extra Christians had been detained.
600 extra church buildings had been attacked or closed.
And Afghanistan is the brand new No. 1, in step with the 2022 Global Watch Listing (WWL), the newest annual accounting from Open Doorways of the highest 50 international locations the place it’s most threatening and hard to be a Christian.
“This yr’s findings point out seismic adjustments within the persecution panorama,” mentioned David Curry, president of Open Doorways USA.
Since Open Doorways started its tally in 1992, North Korea has led the score. However since Afghanistan’s takeover by way of the Taliban closing August, Afghan believers have needed to go away their nation or relocate internally. Many misplaced the whole lot that they had, notes the file, whilst space church buildings had been closed of their wake.
“Ahead of the Taliban, it used to be now not nice, nevertheless it used to be just right,” mentioned one evacuated Afghan, asking for anonymity in hopes that he might in the future go back. “[Now] Christians live in concern, in secret, completely underground.”
Open Doorways is fast to notice the displacement of North Korea to No. 2 does now not replicate an development in non secular freedom there. To the contrary, a brand new anti–reactionary concept legislation has led to an build up of Christian arrests and space church closures.
Total, 360 million Christians reside in countries with prime ranges of persecution or discrimination. That’s 1 in 7 Christians international, together with 1 in 5 believers in Africa, 2 in 5 in Asia, and 1 in 15 in Latin The us.
Final yr, for the primary time in 29 years of monitoring, all 50 countries scored prime sufficient to sign in “very prime” persecution ranges on Open Doorways’ 84-question matrix. This yr, all 50 once more certified—as did 5 extra countries that fell simply outdoor the cutoff.
Whilst Islamic extremism continues to create essentially the most persecution, Open Doorways famous that COVID-19 restrictions “have turn out to be a very easy option to tighten keep an eye on and surveillance over non secular minorities and worship products and services” in China and different countries. Researchers additionally discovered that persecution is increasingly more displacing Christians from their communities, with tens of 1000’s—particularly from Myanmar—turning into refugees in different countries.
The aim of the once a year WWL ratings—that have chronicled how North Korea has pageant as persecution will get worse and worse—is to lead prayers and to try for more practical anger whilst appearing persecuted believers that they’re now not forgotten.
The 2022 model tracks the period of time from October 1, 2020, to September 20, 2021, and is compiled from grassroots stories by way of Open Doorways employees in additional than 60 international locations.

Afghanistan does now not constitute the one considerable alternate on this yr’s ratings. Myanmar moved as much as No. 12 from No. 18, because of larger violence after its coup and discrimination in well being care. Qatar climbed to No. 18 from No. 29, as in the past tolerated space church buildings weren’t accepted to reopen after COVID-19 closures, regardless of permission given to mosques and the few formally registered church structures. Indonesia rose to No. 28 from No. 47, pushed by way of two fatal Islamist assaults on church buildings regardless of a central authority crackdown in opposition to terrorists. And Cuba jumped to No. 37 from No. 51, because of intensified motion in opposition to Christian leaders and activists opposing Communist rules.
Total, the highest 10 countries simplest shuffled positions from closing yr. Somalia held secure at No. 3, as did Libya at No. 4, Eritrea at No. 6, and India at No. 10. Yemen rose two spots to No. 5, changing Pakistan which fell 3 spots to No. 8. Iran fell one spot to No. 9, and Nigeria rose two spots to No. 7, finishing the crowd.
Strangely got rid of in November from america State Division’s annual checklist of International locations of Explicit Fear after in the end being added in 2020, Nigeria used to be given particular consideration within the Open Doorways file.
“As soon as you’re Christian in Nigeria, your lifestyles is all the time at stake,” mentioned a Nigerian believer recognized as Manga, whose father used to be beheaded by way of Boko Haram. “[But] it's now not like we have now anywhere [else] to head; we haven’t any possibility.”
Africa’s maximum populous country ranked first within the WWL subcategories of Christians killed, kidnapped, sexually burdened, or bodily or mentally abused, and in houses and companies attacked for faith-based causes. It ranked moment within the subcategories of church assaults and inner displacement.
“It has … turn out to be increasingly more transparent that Christians (and minority teams) can not depend at the safety equipment for his or her coverage,” mentioned the file.
Violations of spiritual freedom in Nigeria are tied to a hastily rising Islamist presence within the African Sahel. Mali rose to No. 24 from No. 28, and Open Doorways fears it’ll build up additional subsequent yr. Burkina Faso held secure at No. 32, and Niger jumped to No. 33 from No. 54. Close by, the Central African Republic (CAR) rose to No. 31 from No. 35.
“The epicenter of world jihadism is now [in] the Sahel space,” mentioned Illia Djadi, Open Doorways senior analyst for freedom of faith and trust for sub-Saharan Africa. “This terrorism is transferring south … and predominantly Christian international locations like Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast are actually affected.” (None rank at the watch listing.)
International locations with Christian majorities rank quite low within the height 50, and come with Colombia (No. 30), Cuba (No. 37), Ethiopia (No. 38), the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DRC (No. 40), Mozambique (No. 41), Mexico (No. 43), and Cameroon (No. 44).
Of the highest 50 countries:
The 2022 listing integrated two new international locations: Cuba and Niger. Two international locations dropped off the listing: Kenya and Comoros.
Different noteworthy will increase come with Saudi Arabia at No. 11, up from No. 14, because of the provision of extra particular knowledge at the scenario of migrant converts. In a similar way, fellow Gulf country Oman rose to No. 36 from No. 44, following an build up of surveillance in opposition to Christians, particularly converts, with a number of pressured to depart the rustic. And in Asia, Bhutan rose to No. 34 from No. 43, because of a upward push in violence in opposition to Christians within the historically nonviolent Buddhist country.
Now not all noteworthy motion used to be unfavorable. Iraq and Syria every dropped 3 slots to No. 14 and No. 15, respectively, because of decreases of their selection of church buildings attacked and Christians killed. Tunisia dropped to No. 35 from No. 25, as fewer Christians had been detained, whilst a lower in violence in opposition to Christians brought about Tajikistan to fall to No. 45 from No. 43. In the meantime, fewer assaults by way of radical Hindu teams within the Himalayan country of Nepal led its rank to sink to No. 48, down from No. 34.
Open Doorways instructed that some declines could also be superficial, alternatively, brought about by way of decreases in Christian process because of COVID-19. Egypt dropped to No. 20 from No. 16, and Turkey fell to No. 42 from No. 35, as assaults on church buildings lessened. But in Egypt, violence in opposition to particular person Christians remained prime, with 8 believers killed, whilst Turkey witnessed increasingly more competitive executive rhetoric in opposition to Christians, who suffered from rising social mistrust.
Different countries canceled out certain tendencies with unfavorable ones. Sudan remained at No. 13, for the reason that non secular freedom reforms on the nationwide stage have now not but been enacted on the native stage. Colombia held secure at No. 30 as fewer Christians had been killed but criminality and social hostility rose—particularly in indigenous communities. And Ethiopia, which dropped two spots to No. 38, noticed a drop in violence in opposition to Christians offset by way of neighborhood pressures amid civil struggle stipulations that make it tough to discern non secular as opposed to ethnic persecution.

Open Doorways tracks persecution throughout six classes—together with each social and governmental force on folks, households, and congregations—and has a distinct center of attention on girls. Just about all classes noticed will increase this yr, and a few hit report highs.
When violence is remoted as a class, the highest 10 persecutors shift dramatically—simplest Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and India stay. Actually, 16 countries are deadlier for Christians than North Korea.
Martyrdoms rose by way of greater than 1,000 from the prior yr, as Open Doorways tallied 5,898 Christians killed for his or her religion right through the reporting duration. Representing an build up of 24 p.c, the toll stays an development over the 2016 prime of seven,106 deaths. Nigeria accounted for 79 p.c of the overall, adopted by way of Pakistan at 11 p.c.
Open Doorways is understood for favoring a extra conservative estimate than different teams, who continuously tally martyrdoms at 100,000 a yr.
The place numbers can’t be verified, estimates are given in spherical numbers of 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000, assumed to be upper actually. And a few nationwide tabulations is probably not equipped because of safety causes, leading to an “NN” designation for Afghanistan, Maldives, North Korea, Somalia, and Yemen.
Underneath this rubric, an unnamed country, Burkina Faso, the DRC, and Mozambique all apply with a symbolic tally of 100 martyrs.
A moment class tracks assaults on church buildings and different Christian structures reminiscent of hospitals, faculties, and cemeteries, whether or not destroyed, close down, or confiscated. The tally of five,110 represents a 14 p.c build up from closing yr, however is simplest about part of the 2020 file’s prime of 9,488.
China (No. 17), which rejoined the highest 20 closing yr for the primary time in a decade, led the best way with 59 p.c of recorded church assaults. Nigeria used to be moment with 470 incidents, adopted by way of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Qatar. Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Burundi, Angola, and Rwanda all had been assigned a symbolic 100 assaults.
The class of Christians detained with out trial, arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned set a brand new prime in 2021, with a complete of 6,175, about 1,000 extra instances than the former reporting duration. Open Doorways divides this into two subcategories, with 4,765 detained believers representing an build up of 69 p.c. India led with 1,310 instances, and in conjunction with an unnamed country, Pakistan, and China, made up 90 p.c of the overall.
The tally of one,410 believers imprisoned, alternatively, represented a lower of four p.c from the prior duration. An unnamed country, Eritrea, China, and Bangladesh comprised 91 p.c of the overall.
Any other new prime used to be registered within the selection of Christians kidnapped, with the overall of three,829 representing an build up of 124 p.c over the prior duration. Nigeria accounted for 66 p.c of the overall, adopted by way of Pakistan at 26 p.c.
Through some distance the biggest class overall used to be displacement, with 218,709 Christians pressured to depart their houses or cross into hiding for faith-related causes. An extra 25,038 Christians had been pressured to depart their international locations. Myanmar represented 9 in 10 inner displacements and eight in 10 refugees tallied.
Open Doorways mentioned that a number of classes had been in particular tough to depend correctly, best of which have been the 24,678 instances of bodily and psychological abuse, together with beatings and loss of life threats. Of the 74 countries surveyed, 36 had been assigned symbolic numbers. Nigeria used to be the best, adopted by way of India, two unnamed countries, Eritrea, Pakistan, Myanmar, China, CAR, Mozambique, and Malaysia.
An estimated overall of four,543 Christian houses and homes had been attacked in 2021, in conjunction with 1,906 retail outlets and companies. Of the latter, 18 of 36 international locations got symbolic numbers, with Nigeria first.
Nigeria, Pakistan, and Mozambique had essentially the most within the former class, with simplest Cameroon and Bangladesh in a position to report exact instances. Iraq, Syria, China, Burkina Faso, and the DRC rounded out the highest 10, every with a symbolic ranking of 100 assaults.
Classes particular to girls had been additionally tough for Open Doorways researchers to depend correctly. There have been a complete of three,147 instances of rape and sexual harassment, led by way of Nigeria and Pakistan because the best, with 36 of 48 international locations scored symbolically. For pressured marriages to non-Christians there have been a complete of one,588, led by way of Pakistan because the best of the 25 out of 37 international locations scored symbolically.

The principle motivation varies by way of nation, and higher figuring out the variations can assist Christians in different countries pray and suggest extra successfully for his or her beleaguered brothers and sisters in Christ.
Open Doorways categorizes the main assets of Christian persecution into 8 teams:
Islamic oppression (33 international locations): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in additional than part of the watch listing international locations, together with 7 of the highest 10 general: Afghanistan (No. 1), Somalia (No. 3), Libya (No. 4), Yemen (No. 5), Nigeria (No. 7), Pakistan (No. 8), and Iran (No. 9). Lots of the 33 are formally Muslim countries or have Muslim majorities; alternatively, 6 in fact have Christian majorities: Nigeria, CAR (No. 31), Ethiopia (No. 38), DRC (No. 40), Mozambique (No. 41), and Cameroon (No. 44).
Dictatorial paranoia (5 international locations): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in 5 international locations, most commonly in Central Asia, with Muslim majorities: Uzbekistan (No. 21), Turkmenistan (No. 25), Bangladesh (No. 29), Tajikistan (No. 45), and Kazakhstan (No. 47).
Communist and post-communist oppression (5 international locations): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in 5 international locations, essentially in Asia: North Korea (No. 2), China (No. 17), Vietnam (No. 19), Laos (No. 26), and Cuba (No. 37).
Non secular nationalism (4 international locations): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in 4 Asian countries. Christians are essentially focused by way of Hindu nationalists in India (No. 10) and Nepal (No. 48), and by way of Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar (No. 12) and Bhutan (No. 34).
Arranged crime and corruption (2 international locations): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in Colombia (No. 30) and Mexico (No. 43).
Christian denominational protectionism (1 nation): That is the principle supply of persecution that Christians face in Eritrea (No. 6).
Secular intolerance (0 international locations) and extended family oppression (0 international locations): Open Doorways tracks those assets of persecution, however nor is the principle supply in any of the 50 international locations at the 2022 listing. Alternatively, closing yr extended family oppression used to be the main motive force in Afghanistan, Somalia, Laos, Qatar, Nepal, and Oman.
Open Doorways believes it’s affordable to name Christianity the sector’s maximum significantly persecuted faith. On the similar time, it notes there is not any related documentation for the sector’s Muslim inhabitants.
Different tests of spiritual freedom international corroborate lots of Open Doorways’ findings. For instance, the newest Pew Analysis Middle research of governmental and societal hostilities towards faith discovered that Christians had been burdened in 153 international locations in 2019, greater than every other non secular crew. Muslims had been burdened in 147 international locations, adopted by way of Jews in 89 international locations.
When analyzing simplest hostility by way of governments, Muslims had been burdened in 135 international locations and Christians in 128 international locations, in step with Pew. When analyzing simplest hostility inside society, Muslims had been burdened in 115 international locations and Christians in 107 international locations.
The breakdown corresponds to Open Doorways’ knowledge. China, Myanmar, Sudan, and Syria tallied over 10,000 incidents of presidency harassment every. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Egypt had been famous for prime ranges of social hostility.
Lots of the countries on Open Doorways’ listing additionally seem on america State Division’s annual listing that names and shames governments that experience “engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of spiritual freedom.”
Its top-tier International locations of Explicit Fear (CPC) listing contains Myanmar (No. 12 at the 2022 WWL), China (No. 17), Eritrea (No. 6), Iran (No. 9), North Korea (No. 2), Pakistan (No. 8), Russia (which exited the WWL closing yr), Saudi Arabia (No. 11), Tajikistan (No. 45), and Turkmenistan (No. 25). Its second-tier Particular Watch Listing contains Algeria (No. 22), Comoros (which exited the WWL this yr), Cuba (No. 37), and Nicaragua (unranked however monitored by way of Open Doorways).
The State Division additionally lists Entities of Explicit Fear, or nongovernmental actors generating persecution, that are all energetic in international locations on Open Doorways’ listing. Those come with Boko Haram and ISWAP in Nigeria (No. 7 at the WWL), the Taliban in Afghanistan (No. 1), Al-Shabaab in Somalia (No. 4), ISIS in essentially Iraq (No. 14), Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria (No. 15), the Houthis in Yemen (No. 5), and ISIS-Better Sahara and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin within the Sahel.
In the meantime, america Fee on Global Non secular Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2021 file really useful the similar countries for the CPC listing, with the addition of Nigeria, India (No. 10), Syria, and Vietnam (No. 19). For the State Division’s watch listing, USCIRF really useful the similar countries except for for Comoros, with the addition of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (unranked however monitored by way of Open Doorways), Egypt (No. 20), Indonesia (No. 28), Iraq, Kazakhstan (No. 47), Malaysia (No. 50), Turkey (No. 42), and Uzbekistan (No. 21).
All countries of the sector are monitored by way of Open Doorways researchers and box workforce, however in-depth consideration is given to 100 countries and particular center of attention at the 76 which report “prime” ranges of persecution (rankings of greater than 40 on Open Doorways’ 100-point scale).
CT in the past reported the WWL ratings for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012, together with a focus on the place it's toughest to imagine. CT additionally requested mavens whether or not the USA belongs on persecution lists, and compiled the most-read tales of the persecuted church in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.
Learn Open Doorways’ complete file at the 2022 Global Watch Listing right here.
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