413 Million Christians Face Persecution Risk as New Report Warns Religious Freedom Is Under Threat Across the World

Some 413 million Christians live in countries where religious freedom is seriously violated, leaving them at risk of persecution, according to a new report by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). More than 220 million people are directly exposed to the most severe forms of persecution, including violence, abduction and forced displacement, the Catholic charity says.

The report, Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for Their Faith 2024–2026, examines 18 countries and finds that conditions deteriorated in 10 between 2024 and 2026. None of the countries assessed showed an improvement.

Survivors Describe Violence and Threats

Solomon Ako, a 33-year-old Christian from northern Nigeria, told ACN that militants abducted him and other villagers during an attack near Zaria. He said their captors demanded that they renounce their faith.

'They immediately asked us to convert, and when we refused, they began beating us. They whipped us, tied our legs and arms, and put chains around our ankles,' he said. According to his account, the hostages were held in cold water up to their necks and threatened with death.

Marta Petrosillo, director of the ACN report, urged people not to forget the victims, saying: 'Behind these stark figures are faces, people and families.'

Religious Restrictions Across Asia

The report documents different forms of pressure across its assessed countries. In China, ACN describes tighter state control over religious practice, including restrictions on unauthorised religious content and online livestreaming.

In India, the report records more than 700 incidents targeting Christians in 2025. It also highlights concerns about anti-conversion laws and religious nationalism. In Pakistan, ACN raises concerns about the abduction of Christian girls, forced conversion and coerced marriage.

In Nicaragua, the report describes restrictions on the Catholic Church, including reports that people carrying Bibles have been prevented from entering the country. In Syria, the Christian population is reported to have fallen by more than 80 per cent since 2011, reflecting the impact of years of conflict and displacement.

Africa Faces Severe Displacement

Sub-Saharan Africa remains a major focus of concern. The Global Terrorism Index 2026 identifies six African countries among the 10 most affected by terrorism: Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These rankings measure terrorism and should not be taken as evidence that every incident was religiously motivated.

The index recorded 750 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2025, a 46 per cent increase on the previous year. Separately, ACN estimates that at least one million Christians have been displaced from their homes in Nigeria.

In Burkina Faso, the report says militant Islamist groups have seized at least 40 per cent of the country's territory. It also describes displacement affecting Christian communities, including reports that 2,000 people fled one diocese within 12 months.

'Millions of Christians are part of a mass exodus of those displaced in conflict zones, some of it religiously motivated,' the report states.

Calls for Greater International Attention

ACN warns that displacement threatens the future of some of Christianity's oldest communities, particularly in the Middle East. Its report argues that religious persecution can contribute to communities leaving their homes and alter the religious composition of entire regions.

John Pontifex, ACN UK's head of press and public affairs, said persecution was driving communities from their homes, particularly in Africa, and asked: 'What will it take for the world to act?'

The charity is urging public support for its Article 18 petition to the UK government and the United Nations. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

First published in 2006, Persecuted and Forgotten? is now in its 10th edition. ACN's findings highlight the continuing risks facing Christian communities, from direct violence to the loss of the security needed to remain in their homes.