Persecuted Church Statistics

This page is always being updated and expanded to provide all the statistics you might need to help communicate the plight of the persecuted Church all over the world. Note that statistics on persecution and human rights abuses are difficult to come by, since most governments who conduct or permit these abuses do their best to hide their actions.

Historical Christian Persecution Statistics

• More than 70 million Christians have been martyred in the course of history. More than half were martyred in the 20th century under communist and fascist government (Gordon-Conwell Resources).
• In the 21st century, roughly 100,000  to 160,000 Christians were killed each year (Gordon-Conwell Resources and World Christian Database, respectively).
• Roughly 1,093,000 Christians were martyred, worldwide, between 2000 and 2010 (World Christian Database).

Modern, Global Church Persecution Statistics

• 322 Christians are killed for their faith every month (Open Doors).
• 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed every month (Open Doors).
• 772 forms of violence (beatings, kidnappings, rape, arrest, etc.) are committed against Christians every month (Open Doors).

• Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or neighbors because of their faith (United States Department of State).
• At least 7100 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons in 2015, up from at least 4344 in 2014 (Open Doors).

The 10 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution are, in order:

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

Middle East Christian Persecution Statistics

• By 2013, more than 450,000 Syrian Christians had fled their homes during two years of war and persecution (NY Times).
• Roughly 200 Afghan Christians were martyred in 2000 by Taliban and other insurgents (World Christian Database).
• Roughly 100 Saudi Christians were martyred in 2000 (World Christian Database).

African Christian Persecution Statistics

• 800,000 Christians were targeted for their faith and martyred in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1998 and 2007, in the time surrounding their civil war (World Christian Database).
• Roughly 50,000 Christians were martyred during the North-South Sudan violence that officially ended in 2003 (World Christian Database).
• By January 2017, Boko Haram had destroyed more than 900 northeastern Nigeria churches. (ICC, Persecution, April 2017)

Asian Christian Persecution Statistics

• An estimated 700,000 Christians were killed in North Korean prison camps between 1948 and 1987 (Crimson Crucible).
• Roughly 3000 Christians were killed in China between 2000 and 2007 (BosNewsLife).
• By the year 2000, roughly 10,000 ethnic minority, Burmese Christians were targeted and killed by the armed forces in Myanmar (World Christian Database).

India

• There were 361 reported attacks against Christians in India in 2016, up from 177 reported incidents in 2015. (ICC, Persecution, April 2017)
• Attacks against Christians rose 20% in 2016. (All India Christian Council, Atrocities on Christians in India, April 2017)
• There is an attack on the Church every 40 hours in India. (All India Christian Council, Atrocities on Christians in India, April 2017)