from Christian Today
North Korea is the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian, while Nigeria is the deadliest, according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2026 (WWL) published today.
The annual report also finds that the number of Christians experiencing high levels of persecution for their faith has risen to 388 million in the last year – an increase of 8 million since the last WWL.
These figures translate to one in seven Christians worldwide experiencing persecution, two in five across Asia, and one in five in Africa.
North Korea has topped the WWL rankings for 29 out of the last 30 years. The closed-off communist country headed by supreme leader Kim Jong Un severely punishes anyone caught with a Bible or practising the Christian faith. Christians must worship “in utmost secrecy” and the result is a church “driven deeper and deeper underground as the pressure intensifies”.
“The score remains close to the maximum possible. If Christians are discovered, they and their families are deported to labour camps or executed,” said Open Doors.