Open Doors creates an annual listing of the top 50 countries most dangerous to Christians. These are countries where Christianity is illegal, forbidden, or punished – countries that exhibit extreme in intolerance and outright persecution of Christians in every area Open Doors monitors.

Most of the countries in the list below are located in Central America, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. The most common Christian persecution comes from countries where radical Islamic extremism occurs. However, radical Hinduism and Indian nationalism are trending upward in 2019.

The levels of danger presented by some of the countries is magnified by the country’s overall rate of crime. The ten most dangerous countries on the planet are Syria (#15), Afghanistan (#2), South Sudan (#4), Iraq (#8), Somalia (#3), Yemen (#9), Libya (#7), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic (#36), and Russia.

Extreme levels of persecution

  1. North Korea
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Somalia
  4. Sudan
  5. Pakistan
  6. Eritrea
  7. Libya
  8. Iraq
  9. Yemen
  10. Iran
  11. India

Very High levels of persecution

  1. Saudi Arabia
  2. Maldives
  3. Nigeria
  4. Syria
  5. Uzbekistan
  6. Egypt
  7. Vietnam
  8. Turkmenistan
  9. Laos
  10. Jordan
  11. Tajikistan
  12. Malaysia
  13. Myanmar
  14. Nepal
  15. Brunei
  16. Qatar
  17. Kazakhstan
  18. Ethiopia
  19. Tunisia
  20. Turkey
  21. Kenya
  22. Bhutan
  23. Kuwait
  24. Central African Republic

High levels of persecution

  1. Palestinian Territories
  2. Mali
  3. Indonesia
  4. Mexico
  5. United Arab Emirates
  6. Bangladesh
  7. Algeria
  8. China
  9. Sri Lanka
  10. Azerbaijan
  11. Oman
  12. Mauritania
  13. Bahrain
  14. Colombia
  15. Djibouti

Open Doors USA requests prayers for persecuted Christians

Open Doors USA accepts donations but most importantly, they respectfully ask for your prayers. Please pray for Christians living in these deplorable conditions to “shine as lights” before their persecutors.

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