According to the latest report from advocacy group Open Doors, Nigeria was the country with the highest number of Christians killed and kidnapped in 2024. The World Watch List, released on January 15, found that 3,100 Christians were killed and 2,830 were kidnapped in Nigeria, significantly surpassing figures from other countries.
In the same report, India recorded the most arrests of Christians, with 2,176 cases, while Rwanda experienced the highest number of attacks on Christian churches, totaling 4,000 incidents. The report indicates that Christian persecution is growing in absolute terms across approximately 100 monitored countries, with 13 classified as experiencing “extreme levels” of persecution.
Open Doors estimates that over 380 million Christians worldwide faced at least a “high level” of persecution and discrimination due to their faith. The top five countries for Christian persecution in 2024 were North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan, with Nigeria ranking seventh on the list. Eritrea, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Saudi Arabia, and Myanmar rounded out the top 13 countries facing extreme anti-Christian persecution.
Cristian Nani, Director of Open Doors Italy, emphasized the urgency of addressing religious freedom, stating, “380 million Christians in the world do not enjoy the basic human right to believe what they want. How many more killed, displaced, abused, and imprisoned Christians do we need to count before we put religious freedom at the center of public debate?”
Nani noted a consistent increase in anti-Christian persecution over 32 years of research, highlighting that 2024 marked another record year of intolerance, with one in seven Christians experiencing discrimination or persecution for their faith.
Open Doors compiles its annual World Watch List using data from local networks, national researchers, external experts, and an analytical team. The ranking assesses the pressure on Christians in five areas: private, family, community, church, and public life, with violence considered as a separate factor.
Since 2009, Nigeria has faced significant violence from Muslim extremist groups like Boko Haram, which have persecuted Christians, often kidnapping them for ransom or executing them. A report by Aid to the Church in Need noted a reduction in the abduction of Catholic clergy in Nigeria, from 28 cases in 2023 to 12 in 2024. However, the country remains one of the most dangerous places for priests and religious figures.
Recently, Sisters Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli, who were abducted on January 7 from the Archdiocese of Onitsha, were released and reported to be in good health, according to their congregation, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ (IHM).
