By the time you go to bed tonight, an average of more than 13 Christians will have been killed for their decision to follow Jesus.
That's an average of one Christian every two hours ... murdered for their faith. It's difficult to fathom that the persecution the early Christians faced in the New Testament is still happening today, in the twenty-first century.
Yet new research released as part of Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List bears evidence. Our annual report ranks the 50 places where it's most difficult to live as a Christian. The research took place from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.
Other numbers from the research are just as horrifying:
4,712 believers were arrested, imprisoned, detained without trial, or sentenced—just because of their faith;
3,302 followers of Jesus were abducted;
5,202 Christians were raped, sexually harassed, or forcibly married to non-Christians.
Nearly 68,000 believers were mentally or physically abused for their faith (up 20% from last year), and
29,426 churches, houses, shops, or businesses belonging to Christians were attacked. Finally,
224,129 followers of Christ were forced to flee their homes, go into hiding, or leave their country.
While these are horrifying statistics, it's important to note that the Open Doors' research into violence results in total numbers, which are lower than the reality—most of the World Watch List research depends on direct counting or reports from trusted indirect sources. Where there was some dispute about whether or not the violence was because of faith in Jesus, researchers took a cautious approach and went with a conservative estimate.
Bottom line: The real numbers are likely much higher—this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A face on the numbers
While the numbers paint a sobering picture of the violence that Christians continue to face, we can't forget that
behind each number is a real person who has sacrificed sometimes everything to trust and follow Jesus.
Aweis, a Christian convert from
Somalia, has spent his life struggling with the consequences of leaving Islam to pursue Christianity inside the Horn of Africa, where public faith can be impossible. From death threats by his father to utter rejection from his clan, Aweis gives us a snapshot of the emotional turmoil and physical suffering these numbers represent.
“The enmity and the threats I faced were way more than I expected.”
Aweis
"[My father] said, 'I cannot stop you from reading your Bible, but if you become a Christian, I will be the one to kill you,'" Aweis shares. And when he took the step of faith, three years later, Aweis found himself alone and frightened. "I was an outcast, someone who had defiled the family name," he says. "There were threats against my life, and it was very painful. The enmity and the threats I faced were way more than I expected."
He reminds us that each statistic is connected to people with the same hopes and dreams shared by every human. Hopes like living peacefully, working with purpose, providing a better life for children, and freely choosing who you will worship—all without fear.
Today, Aweis is a Bible translator who continues to minister to Somali believers throughout the Horn of Africa despite deep risk.
"My vision for the Somali church is to become a normal, accepted part of the Somali society ... a day when you will not lose your own children or spouse because of your faith," he says. "A time when the government will not put you in prison because of your faith. I want to see a day when there is general acceptance for the Somali church."
A Christian is killed every 2 hours in sub-Saharan Africa
In the last few months, we've seen more global leaders recognize the violence against Christians happening in
Nigeria (No. 7). For good reason—our research from the 2026 World Watch List shows that Nigeria is still the world's most violent country for Christians.
Of the almost 5,000 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 70% were in Nigeria. The country leads the list of several other 2026 World Watch List violence statistics, such as the number of Christians abducted (2,293 in Nigeria) and the number of Christians raped or sexually harassed (1,000+).
In addition to Nigeria, our research shows that the ongoing crisis in sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow. Fourteen of the 50 countries on the World Watch List are in sub-Saharan Africa. Open Doors researchers counted 4,849 total faith-related deaths worldwide, and out of that total, 4,491 deaths took place in sub-Saharan Africa—a staggering 93% of the global number.
To put it another way:
Every 1.95 hours on average, a Christian in sub-Saharan Africa is killed for their faith.
Salamatu in Nigeria's Yobe State brings us up close to this pain, crystalizing the impact of this research. During a second attack on her village, the extremist group Boko Haram shot and killed her husband and the village pastor, and burned down her church. Salamatu was forced to leave her village with her children and grandchildren. She won't return.
"Boko Haram let us know that we will be murdered if we come back," she says.
Nigeria Christians who have been displaced by violence
Salamatu and millions of Christians like her are why Open Doors began the Arise Africa campaign. The violence in this region is unimaginable, and it's time for the world to not only wake up to what's happening but also take action. Arise Africa aims to equip and empower the church in sub-Saharan Africa and break the silence.
Will you add your voice to our petition and help stop the violence and start the healing?
Impossible faith on display
The numbers give us a disturbing picture of the reality that millions of our brothers and sisters face. Specifically, more than 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, based on the 2026 World Watch List.
But just like the early Christians showed us, we can't look only at the violence. We must also see the faith of our brothers and sisters on display and how God is using that faith to grow His Church and Kingdom.
Ultimately, persecuted believers like Aweis and Salamatu reflect Christ who lives in them. They give us a beautiful picture of God at work in and through their lives—even in confusion and despair. And they show us the power of Jesus' words to His disciples—that what should be impossible is possible with God (Matt. 19:26).
Through our prayers and support, which allows our local partners to walk with believers, we can encourage our family to press on—through the violence, the isolation, the risks, the seemingly impossible situations.
As Open Doors founder Brother Andrew said:
"When we go, they are encouraged. When we give, they are strengthened. When we pray, they are protected."
“Pray for us to be stronger spiritually, that we become more Christ-like.”
Aweis
Knowing the context Aweis lives and serves in, sharing his name and story should be impossible. But he continues to persevere and, like so many believers, asks for our prayers: "Pray for us to be stronger spiritually, that we thrive in the midst of persecution, that we become more Christ-like. So, when Muslim persecutors see us, they think, 'Wow, they are so different, we want to be like them.'"
Thank you for how you pray with and support Aweis, Salamatu, and the millions of other Christians who face persecution and violence for following Jesus. May their example bolster our faith as we pray with them and live as one Church and one Body.
*Name changed to protect identity
